Interrogative pronouns in Dutch: wie, wat, welke, wat voor
The Dutch question pronouns wie (who), wat (what), welk(e) (which) and wat voor (what kind of), and how welk(e) agrees with de and het.
Interrogative pronouns are the question words that stand in for the thing you are asking about: wie (who), wat (what), welk(e) (which) and wat voor (what kind of). Wie is dat? (Who is that?) They open a question, with the verb next to the question word — though when wie or wat is itself the subject (Wie belt er? Who is calling?), ordinary subject-verb order applies. See question words for the word order.
Which pronoun for which question?
Use wie for people, wat for things, welk(e) to pick one out of a known set, and wat voor (een) to ask what type of thing something is.
| Pronoun | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wie | who | Wie belt er? (Who is calling?) |
| wat | what | Wat eet je? (What are you eating?) |
| welk(e) | which | Welke jas is van jou? (Which coat is yours?) |
| wat voor (een) | what kind of | Naar wat voor muziek luister je? (What kind of music do you listen to?) |
welk or welke? Matching de and het
Before a noun, use welk with a het-word and welke with a de-word or any plural. This is the same de/het split you already meet with the articles.
- het-word → welk: Welk boek lees je? (Which book are you reading?) — het boek.
- de-word → welke: Welke trein neem je? (Which train are you taking?) — de trein.
- Plural (always a de-word) → welke: Welke schoenen koop je? (Which shoes are you buying?)
Standing on its own, without a noun after it, it is always welke — even when it points back to a het-word: Welke wil je? (Which one do you want?)
wie after a preposition
Dutch has no separate word for whom; wie covers both. When a preposition belongs with the question, it simply goes in front of wie: Met wie ga je? (Who are you going with?), Voor wie is dit cadeau? (Who is this present for?)
This is where wie and wat part ways. A preposition before wat normally merges into a waar- word: not over wat but waarover (about what), not met wat but waarmee (with what). See er + a preposition for that pattern.
wat voor (een): asking for a type
Wat voor asks what kind or type of thing: Wat voor werk doe je? (What kind of work do you do?) The een is optional and common in speech: Wat voor (een) auto heb je? (What kind of car do you have?)
Unlike plain wat, wat voor can sit straight after a preposition without turning into a waar- word: In wat voor huis woon je? (What kind of house do you live in?)
Mistakes to avoid
Do not put wat directly in front of a noun. English says what book, but Dutch cannot: it is welk boek, never wat boek. Wat always stands alone (Wat lees je?); the moment a noun follows, switch to welk(e) (to pick one out) or wat voor (to ask the type).
- Vul in: *___ film wil je zien?* (*de film*)
- Welk
- Welke
- Wat
- Wie
*Film* is a de-word (*de film*), so before the noun you use *welke* → *Welke film wil je zien?*
- Vul in: *___ boek is het beste?* (*het boek*)
- Welke
- Welk
- Wat voor
- Wie
*Boek* is a het-word (*het boek*), so before the noun you use *welk* → *Welk boek is het beste?*
- *Boek* is a het-word. Which sentence is correct?
- Wat boek lees je?
- Welk boek lees je?
- Welke boek lees je?
- Wie boek lees je?
Before a het-word you use *welk*, so *Welk boek lees je?* is right. *Welke* is for de-words and plurals, *wat* cannot stand before a noun, and *wie* is only for people.
- How do you say Who are you going with? in Dutch?
- Wie ga je met?
- Met wie ga je?
- Waarmee ga je?
- Met wat ga je?
*Wie* covers who and whom, and a preposition goes in front: *Met wie ga je?* (*Waarmee* would ask with what thing, not with which person.)
- You point at a shelf and ask which book, without saying the word book. Which is right?
- Welk wil je?
- Welke wil je?
- Wat wil je?
- Wat voor wil je?
With no noun after it, the form is always *welke*, even for a het-word like *boek* → *Welke wil je?* (Which one do you want?)
Test yourself
Question 1 of 5
Vul in: ___ film wil je zien? (de film)