welcher and was für ein (A1) – German grammar

Welcher asks "which one?" and takes the endings of der, die, das: Welcher Tisch ist frei?

Learn first:Demonstrative dieser (this)Yes/no questions and W-questions

Forms of welcher

Case & gender	Ending pattern	welcher form	Example	English translation
Nominativ maskulin	-er	welcher	Welcher Tisch ist frei?	Which table is free?
Nominativ feminin	-e	welche	Welche Lampe gefällt dir?	Which lamp do you like?
Nominativ neutral	-es	welches	Welches Zimmer ist ruhig?	Which room is quiet?
Nominativ Plural	-e	welche	Welche Stühle sind neu?	Which chairs are new?
Akkusativ maskulin	-en	welchen	Welchen Stuhl suchen Sie?	Which chair are you looking for?
Akkusativ feminin	-e	welche	Welche Jacke nehmen Sie?	Which jacket are you taking?

The main points

Welcher asks "which one?" from a group you know.
Endings copy der, die, das: welcher, welche, welches, welche.
Only masculine accusative changes: Welchen Tisch nehmen wir?
Was für ein asks "what kind of?". Ein keeps its normal endings.
Plural: was für without ein. Was für Möbel brauchen Sie?

Part 1 of 4

When you use it

1
Choosing from a group
- Welcher Mantel gefällt Ihnen besser?Which coat do you like better?
- Welche Wohnung mieten Sie?Which flat are you renting?
Use welcher to pick one option from a group you know, for example in a shop or when you look at flats.
2
Asking about people and details
- Welcher Kollege arbeitet heute im Büro?Which colleague is working in the office today?
- Welches Formular müssen Sie unterschreiben?Which form do you have to sign?
At work or at an office, welcher asks for exact details: which person, which document, which form.
3
What kind of? was für ein
- Was für eine Wohnung suchen Sie? – Eine Wohnung mit Balkon.What kind of flat are you looking for? – A flat with a balcony.
- Was für ein Auto hast du?What kind of car do you have?
Was für ein doesn't choose from a group. It asks about the type. The answer often describes the thing.
Tip: In speech, für ein often comes later: Was hast du für ein Auto?

The forms

Forms of welcher

Welcher takes the same endings as der, die, das and plural die.

Case & gender	Ending pattern	welcher form	Example	English translation
Nominativ maskulin	-er	welcher	Welcher Tisch ist frei?	Which table is free?
Nominativ feminin	-e	welche	Welche Lampe gefällt dir?	Which lamp do you like?
Nominativ neutral	-es	welches	Welches Zimmer ist ruhig?	Which room is quiet?
Nominativ Plural	-e	welche	Welche Stühle sind neu?	Which chairs are new?
Akkusativ maskulin	-en	welchen	Welchen Stuhl suchen Sie?	Which chair are you looking for?
Akkusativ feminin	-e	welche	Welche Jacke nehmen Sie?	Which jacket are you taking?

What to notice

Only the masculine accusative changes: welchen Tisch, like den Tisch.

Part 2 of 4

Step by step

1
Which one or what kind?
Choosing from a group you can see or know? Use welcher. Asking about the type? Use was für ein.
- Hier sind drei Tische. → Welchen Tisch nehmen wir?Here are three tables. → Which table shall we take?
- Sie brauchen einen Tisch. → Was für einen Tisch brauchen Sie?You need a table. → What kind of table do you need?
2
Find gender and number
Is the noun masculine, feminine, neuter or plural? Check its article.
- der Stuhl → masculine
3
Find the case
Does the noun do the action? Then it is Nominativ. Is it the direct object? Then it is Akkusativ.
- Welcher Stuhl kostet viel?Which chair costs a lot? (Nominativ)
- Welchen Stuhl kaufen wir?Which chair are we buying? (Akkusativ)
4
Add the ending
Use the ending of der, die, das. Masculine object: -en (welchen).
- Welchen Stuhl kaufen wir?Which chair are we buying?

Part 3 of 4

Common mistakes

~~Welche Tisch kaufen wir?~~
Welchen Tisch kaufen wir?
Der Tisch is the object here. Masculine accusative takes -en: welchen.
~~Welch Buch liest du?~~
Welches Buch liest du?
Das Buch is neuter, so you need welches. Don't drop the ending.
~~Welcher Jacke gefällt dir?~~
Welche Jacke gefällt dir?
Jacke is feminine (die Jacke), so the form is welche.

Exceptions

Tap one to open it.

Welcher wants one exact choice from a group. Was für ein asks about the kind or type.
- Welcher Zug fährt nach Berlin?Which train goes to Berlin?
- Was für ein Zug ist das?What kind of train is that?
Ein has no plural. So in the plural, say only was für + noun.
- Was für Möbel brauchen Sie?What kind of furniture do you need?

Don't mix it up

Was, welcher or was für ein?

Was asks about things or actions in general. Welcher asks for one choice from a known group. Was für ein asks about the type.

Question word	Function	Example
Was? (S02)	Asks generally about things or actions	Was machst du heute? (What are you doing today?)
Welcher? (P22)	Asks for one choice from a known group	Welchen Bus nehmen wir? (Which bus are we taking?)
Was für ein? (P22)	Asks about the type or quality	Was für eine Wohnung suchen Sie? (What kind of flat are you looking for?)

Part 4 of 4

In real life

Choosing a desk

Maria and David are choosing a desk in a furniture shop in Leipzig. Later a shop assistant joins them. · Tap EN for English.

Maria
Wir brauchen einen neuen Schreibtisch. Welcher Tisch gefällt dir am besten?
David
Welchen Tisch meinst du? Den großen Holztisch dort drüben?
Maria
Ich meine den großen Tisch. Aber welche Farbe findest du schöner: weiß oder braun?
David
Weiß. Und welches Modell kostet weniger? Ah, hier: Der weiße Tisch ist billiger.
Maria
Gut, dann nehmen wir den weißen Tisch. Und welche Stühle passen dazu?
David
Schau mal hier: Welche Stühle gefallen dir? Diese vier Stühle hier sehen sehr bequem aus.
Verkäufer
Gute Wahl! Und was für eine Lampe brauchen Sie?
Maria
Eine kleine Lampe für den Schreibtisch, bitte.

That's the whole topic.

Next topiceiner, keiner, welche as pronouns

Forms of welcher

The main points

When you use it

Choosing from a group

Asking about people and details

What kind of? was für ein

The forms

Forms of welcher

Step by step

Which one or what kind?

Find gender and number

Find the case

Add the ending

Common mistakes

Exceptions

Don't mix it up

Was, welcher or was für ein?

In real life

Sources