welcher
which
An interrogative pronoun used to ask about a particular person or thing from a group.
EXAMPLE
Welcher ist dein Bruder?
Which one is your brother?
welcher
which
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
welcher
which
A relative pronoun that refers to a previously mentioned person or thing and introduces a relative clause. It often sounds somewhat more formal than “der” or “die” in the same function.
EXAMPLE
Der Mann, welcher dort wartet, ist mein Nachbar.
The man who is waiting there is my neighbor.
welcher
some
An informal pronoun meaning “some of it” or “some,” when it is not specified exactly which person or thing is meant.
EXAMPLE
Ist noch Kaffee da? – Ja, in der Kanne ist noch welcher.
Is there any coffee left? – Yes, there’s still some in the pot.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry welcher, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
The four cases
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | welcher | welche | welches | welche |
| acc. | welchen | welche | welches | welche |
| dat. | welchem | welcher | welchem | welchen |
| gen. | welches | welcher | welches | welcher |
Usage tips
Context clue
A direct question usually shows the interrogative meaning of “welcher” (which). When “welcher” comes after a comma and refers to a noun in the preceding part of the sentence, it introduces a relative clause. When it stands alone in a casual everyday situation, it can refer to an unspecified amount or thing.
EXAMPLE
Welcher Zug fährt nach München?
Which train goes to Munich?
Before a noun
As an interrogative pronoun, “welcher” (which) often comes directly before a noun. Its form depends on the gender and number of the noun and on its role in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Welcher Bus fährt zum Bahnhof?
Which bus goes to the station?
Interrogative pronoun
“Welcher” (which) can stand alone in a question when the context makes it clear what kind of person or thing is meant. It can also come directly before the noun being asked about.
EXAMPLE
Welcher ist dein Platz?
Which one is your seat?
Relative clause
In a relative clause, “welcher” (which) takes the gender and number of the antecedent; its case depends on its function within the relative clause. The relative clause is set off by commas.
EXAMPLE
Das ist die Kollegin, welche heute die Präsentation hält.
That is the colleague who is giving the presentation today.
Informal quantity
In this meaning, “welcher” (some) usually stands alone and refers to a thing or amount mentioned previously. This usage is especially common in casual conversations.
EXAMPLE
Wenn du Schrauben brauchst, findest du welche in der Werkzeugkiste.
If you need screws, you can find some in the toolbox.
In real life
Loading video examples...