wer
who
An interrogative pronoun used to ask about the identity of one or more people.
EXAMPLE
Wer hat gestern an der Tür geklingelt?
Who rang the doorbell yesterday?
wer
who
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Meanings
wer
whoever
An indefinite relative pronoun meaning “everyone who” or “the person who.” It is often used in the construction “wer …, der …”.
EXAMPLE
Wer regelmäßig übt, der macht schnell Fortschritte.
Whoever practices regularly makes quick progress.
wer
who / someone
Colloquially, a form of “jemand” (someone): an unspecified person.
EXAMPLE
Ist da wer? Ich habe gerade ein Geräusch gehört.
Is anyone there? I just heard a noise.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry wer, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | wer | – |
| accusative | wen | – |
| dative | wem | – |
| genitive | wessen wes | – |
Usage tips
Case forms
“Wer” (who) is in the nominative and usually refers to the person performing an action in a question or subordinate clause. Depending on its function, the interrogative pronoun changes: “wen” (whom) is used in the accusative, “wem” (to whom) in the dative, and “wessen” (whose) in the genitive.
EXAMPLE
Wer hat den Schlüssel genommen?
Who took the key?
Question sentence
As an interrogative pronoun, “wer” (who) often appears at the beginning of a direct or indirect question. In a direct question, the finite verb normally follows immediately; in an indirect question, the finite verb comes at the end.
EXAMPLE
Wer kommt heute mit zum Konzert?
Who is coming to the concert today?
Fixed construction
In the meaning “everyone who,” “wer” (whoever) often appears at the beginning of a subordinate clause. This clause can be resumed with “der” (that person) or another appropriate pronoun; in the “wer” clause, the finite verb comes at the end.
EXAMPLE
Wer anderen hilft, der bekommt oft selbst Unterstützung.
Whoever helps others often receives support themselves.
In real life
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