Interrogative and exclamatory adjectives in German
Online language lessons with native teachers
Skype teachers
Free trial lesson
Flexible appointments
Interrogative and exclamatory adjectives in German
Lesson Outline
Hide- 1.Definition of interrogative and exclamatory adjectives in German
- 2.The adjective ‘welch-’
- 2.1.'Welch-' as an interrogative adjective
- 2.1.1.Declension of interrogative adjective 'welch-'
- 2.2.'Welch' as an exclamatory adjective
- 3.The adjective 'was für (ein-)'
- 3.1.'Was für (ein-)' as an interrogative adjective
- 3.1.1.Declension of interrogative adjective 'was für (ein-)'
- 3.2.'Was für (ein-)' as an exclamatory adjective
- 4.Difference between interrogative and exclamatory adjectives and pronouns
- 5.Exercises
- 5.1.Exercise on German interrogative and exclamatory adjectives
- 5.2.Multiple choice: which is the right adjective to use?
Definition of interrogative and exclamatory adjectives in German
The interrogative and exclamatory adjectives are used in combination with a noun, either to ask something specific about the noun, or to emphasize it.
There are two different constructions of it: 'welch' and 'was für'. These adjectives stand right before the noun.
For example:
- Welches T-Shirt findest du am schönsten? (Which t-shirt do you like the most?)
- Was für Hausaufgaben hast du bekommen? (What kind of homework did you get?)
The adjective ‘welch-’
The special form of 'welch-' is very often used in the expression 'welch ein' (what a) and sometimes stand before attributive adjectives.
The adjective 'welch-' can be used as an interrogative or exclamatory adjective.
'Welch-' as an interrogative adjective
To use 'welch-' as an interrogative adjective, it needs to be declined in order to fit to noun. The interrogatives are often used to ask question and to get special information about the noun.
For example:
- Welcher Mantel gehört Paul? (Which coat is Pauls?)
- Welchen Kuchen wollen wir backen? (Which cake do we want to bake?)
- Welche CD hört Anna gerade? (Which CD is Anna listening to?)
Declension of interrogative adjective 'welch-'
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | welcher | welche | welches | welche |
| Accusative | welchen | welche | welches | welche |
| Dative | welchem | welcher | welchem | welchen |
| Genitive | welches | welcher | welches | welcher |
'Welch' as an exclamatory adjective
By using an exclamatory adjective you don't need to decline anything. Just use the word stem on his own.
In the following table you can see two different ways to use sentences, while the right one uses the exclamatory 'welch'.
| Without 'welch' | With 'welch' |
|---|---|
| Wie schön diese Reise ist! (How wonderful this journey is!) | Welch eine schöne Reise! (What a wonderful journey!) |
| Er ist so ein kluger Mann! (He is such an intelligent guy!) | Welch kluger Mann er ist! (What an intelligent guy he is!) |
| Das war eine unterwartete Überraschung! (This was an unexpected surprise!) | Welch unerwartete Überraschung! (What an unexpected surprise!) |
As you can see, the exclamatory sentences using the 'welch' construction are very short and emphasize the adjective even more.
The adjective 'was für (ein-)'
The interrogative adjective 'was für' is even more used than the construction of 'welch'. In the singular, the sentence is used with the indefinite article 'ein' that takes adjective endings, depending on the grammatical use of the noun in the sentence. In plural, the indefinite article 'ein' is omitted and the construction therefore is only 'was für'.
'Was für (ein-)' as an interrogative adjective
The construction is often use to ask questions about certain persons, objects or processes.
For example:
Was für einen Kaffee hättest Du gerne? (What kind of coffee would you like to have?)
Was für Autos fahrt ihr? (What kind of cars do you drive?)
Declension of interrogative adjective 'was für (ein-)'
Is it also possible to use this adjective to ask a question. To do so, the constructions have to take adjective endigs.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | was für ein(er) | was für eine | was für ein(es) | was für |
| Accusative | was für einen | was für eine | was für ein(es) | was für |
| Dative | was für einem | was für einer | was für ein(em) | was für |
| Genitive | was für eines | was für einer | was für eines | was für |
'Was für (ein-)' as an exclamatory adjective
Of course, the construction 'was für (ein-)' can also be used as an exclamatory adjective. This is used to emphasize the noun and its characteristics.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Was für ein schönes Haus! (What a beatiful house!) | Was für schöne Häuser! (What beatiful houses!) |
| Was für eine tolle Überraschung! (What a nice surprise!) | Was für tolle Überraschungen! (What nice surprises!) |
| Was für ein leckerer Keks! (What a tasty cookie!) | Was für leckere Kekse! (What tasty cookies!) |
Keep in mind, that the indirect article 'ein' has to be declined in order to fit to the related noun. In plural cases the 'ein-' is omitted.
Difference between interrogative and exclamatory adjectives and pronouns
The difference between interrogative and exclamatory adjectives and pronouns is simple. The interrogative adjective is always used in combination with a noun and is emphasizing it or asking for something we don't know. The pronoun on the other side can stand alone.
| Sentence with adjective | Sentence with pronoun |
|---|---|
| Welche Lunch-Box ist deine? (Which lunch-box is yours?) | Welche ist deine? (Which one is yours?) |
| Welche Farbe sieht besser aus? (Which colour looks better?) | Was könnte ich dir zum Geburtstag schenken? (What should I buy you for your birthday?) |
In the second example, 'welche' is an interrogative adjective, because it refers to the noun 'Farbe'. In the other sentence 'was' is an interrogative pronoun, because it stands without a noun.
To get a deeper understanding of words used as interrogative pronouns, have a look at the chapter about it.
Exercises
Exercise on German interrogative and exclamatory adjectives
Multiple choice: which is the right adjective to use?
What our students say
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Brandon .
Elena is an excellent teacher and a very nice person. I have been training in Spanish with Elena for quite some time now after her being recommended to me by a friend, and have consistently been very pleased with our lessons. While I do not consider myself to be very good at learning foreign languages, Elena is very patient and adapts the lessons to my ability, making me feel at ease. In fact, I find her to be extremely skilled at assessing exactly where I am at any given time with respect to my individual learning situation, and structuring the lessons accordingly. I think I probably would have given up trying to learn Spanish had I not began my study with Elena; and that would have been a shame considering where I am now with the language. Because of Elena's skilled help, I am extremely pleased to not only be conversant in basic Spanish, but also have confidence that I will one day reach full proficiency with the language. No other learning method I tried before meeting Elena compares to the one-on-one, personalized instruction I receive from her, which comprises reading; writing; developmental exercises; and most importantly, conversation. To be able to look at Spanish now and have it appear largely familiar is extremely satisfying. I even plan to study Italian with Elena after reaching my desired level in Spanish. These are not things I ever imagined would occur at the beginning stages of my studies. I am a native English speaker and find Elena's English to be excellent. She had no difficulty instructing me from the very beginning levels where it was necessary that a lot of English be spoken in our lessons, to where we are now with much less English being spoken. The friend who recommended Elena to me learned Dutch from her, and is equally pleased with their experience. I would not hesitate to learn from Elena any of the languages she teaches. I give Elena my highest recommendations and thank her for all the help she has provided me.
Elena P.
Thank you for your feedback, Brandon! I am very happy to know that you are so satisfied with the lessons. I've always believed that you could make it and I am glad that we never gave it up. The right attitude and a high level of perseverance have been the keys to your success. It has been a pleasure to be your guide in your learning process. I know that you can do much more, so let's continue towards a next level!
An D.
Hands down one of the best teachers I've had the pleasure of working with. Very knowledgeable in all aspects of Bulgarian (grammar rules, expressions, ...) but also in both English and French, which helps whenever you have a more in-depth question on the how or why something is the way it is in Bulgarian. Furthermore he has his own material and always comes prepared, but he is equally open to changing the subject of a lesson to suit your needs. He is patient, positive and not too scholarly, which is what you need as an adult learning day- to- day Bulgarian.I have been working with him for 18 months now and still look forward to our lessons every week.
Zlatko Z.
An's Bulgarian has tremendously improved since she gave it go a year and a half ago. Of course, It goes without saying that I am pleased to work with such an enthusiastic learner who is living proof that, through hard work and perseverance, everyone can succeed in their language goals. An, you are now an independant user of the language who is able to successfully lead real-live conversations. Pat yourself on the back.
Anita Stierstorfer .
I would highly recommend Tove. Her lessons are fantastic and I learn exactly what I'm interested in. Tove is very friendly, our chemistry goes well together and I really enjoy being tought by her.
Tove K.
Dear Anita, Thank you very much for your nice review! I enjoy our lessons very much too and I am so happy that our communication and chemistry fit well together. That's the best precondition for a good learning experience. See you soon!
Fabrizio Ventimiglia .
We are an Italian family residing in France for 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the children two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with the choice. Nous sommes une famille italienne résidant en France depuis janvier, nous avons deux enfants de 10 ans qui viennent de commencer la CM1. Nous avons demandé à Natalia de leur donner deux leçons par semaine pour accélérer leur apprentissage. Nous sommes super contents de Natalia. We are an Italian family living in France since 3 months, we have two 10 year old children who have just started attending CM1. We asked Natalia to give the kids two lessons a week to speed up their learning. We are super happy with this choice.
Natalia L.
Fabrizio's children are learning French very fast, I have the impression that these lessons online have been helpful for them and I am sure they will master the language easily. They are very interested in learning.
Danilo G.
It is always a pleasure to have English lessons with Corinne. The lessons are always a lot of fun and extremely interesting concerning on current affairs and unfortunately the time always ends too early. Very recommended.
Corinne P.
Thank you, Danilo. It is always a pleasure having lessons with you and I have enjoyed our many conversations together. And what a joy that over time they have become easier for both of us to understand! :D
Megan L.
It was very nice to take a lesson from Theano (Anny). She is adaptable to the student's level and is prepared to help the student as necessary. She is a friendly and caring teacher!
THEANO G.
Σ' ευχαριστώ πολύ Μέγκαν! I'm glad you had a good experience and that you enjoyed it. Your excitment about learning greek motivates me even more :)
Linda V.
Daniela is an excellent teacher. has a lot of patience and you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes. she is always there to help you. Thanks Daniela
Daniela V.
Dear Linda, thank you for your positive feedback. I am very happy that you feel comfortable and this is very important to me. Thanks to you for the great trust :-)
Alba B.
I had my first lesson a couple of days ago and everything went super good! Karin was attentive, transmiting her positivism and helping me with every doubt I had. She really focus on teaching how to pronounce and talk a language, so this is really interesting for me, to practise it & be able to use it in my day by day. I really recommend her to everyone willing to learn a new language :)
Karin L.
Hi Alba! Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I enjoyed our class too & I wish you the best of luck with all your future projects :-)
Silvia B.
Ekaterina writes new words and sentences learnt during the lesson. She has got a very nice attitude and great accent! A pleasure to work with... yes, even in German!!!!!
Ekaterina V.
Dear Silvia, thank you very much for your feedback! It's a real pleasure to have classes with you, and I hope you find them useful!
Martin M.
Deborah has been teaching me Italian for several months. I am very happy and look forward to the new lesson every week. She was immediately able to adapt to my level of knowledge of the Italian language. I can clearly see my progress every week. The lessons can be challenging, which I think is very good. I feel that she is pushing me to the next level. Great ! In addition she always provides me with excellent homework exercises. I really appreciate her patience when I am desperately searching for words during the conversation. In my opinion you can teach yourself a lot, but only with a teacher like Deborah can you achieve an excellent level of active use of language. To achieve this, I will need many more lessons with Deborah. As always we will have a lot of laughter and fun while doing this.
Deborah M.
Thank you very much for your words! You are a very diligent student! You apply and take one step forward with each lesson! See you soon!
Ira .
Patricia is very professional and speaks clearly. It made a very good impression on me. I definitely recommend it.
Patricia R.
Thank you very much for your feedback, Ira. Your interest and your willpower to improve your Spanish is admirable. Keep it up!
Mia .
Enthousiast and engaged teacher. Plans a lesson around your needs and focuses on details specific to you. Finds helpful material for the lessons but also for the time between. Easy to talk to and can be reached easily too.
Anco P.
Hi Mia, thank you for this feedback. We will continue in this way until you are ready for your exam!
Dan T.
Federico is an exceptional teacher. He is patient, knowledgable and makes learning much less stressful. In the short time I've been working with him I feel that my Italian has grown so much faster. He has so many resources to share with his students and helps to coach me through the difficult parts of language learning! I highly recommend him to anyone wanted to learn Italian, it is truly a wonderful experience.
Federico C.
Thank you Dan for the great review! A student like you makes everything easier. I hope to continue like that!
Alessandra C.
I am very satisfied with the teaching method. I highly recommend it if you want to learn the German language correctly. He has a lot of patience and can teach in a very relaxed way. Very very good
Fiorina D.
Thanks so much. It is understood that for any difficulty and / or misunderstanding I am at your disposal.Rina
Luigi D.
I did the first 4 lessons and I am fully satisfied. Precise teacher, very clear in the explanations, easy to follow, very helpful and patient even with those who start from scratch like me. Excellent pronunciation and very useful support with didactic material available. Result: perfect
Maria Grazia L.
Thanks a lot for the nice review. It is a real pleasure to be able to help you with German.
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
I speak: English, German, Spanish I teach: English, German, Spanish
Hello =) My name is Karolin and I have been living in Chile for more than 2 years now. I've been teaching via Skype for quite some time and... I've found that this kind of work is fun. That's why I would like to expand my circle of students. Both in English and in German, I teach classes for beginners and advanced students. I speak Spanish fluently, but I do not want to cheat anyone, so I note here that I speak the spanish from Chile. I learned and teach the spanish from Spain and I can explain the differences if you're interested, but that is why I only teach spanish for beginners. If you'd like to get to know me and my teaching methods, just contact me and we will do a free trial lesson. See you soon! Read more
Availability: Monday (13-23h), Tuesday (13-23h), Wednesday (13-23h), Thursday (13-23h), Friday (13-23h), Saturday (13-23h), Sunday (13-23h).
Timezone: Europe/Berlin (GMT+2)
See in your timezone.
Great choice! Students book in average more than 10 lessons!
Very experienced teacher!
Very experienced teacher!
16.00€ / h
Response time: less than a few hours
I speak: English, German, Spanish I teach: German, Spanish
I am Marcus Hartmann, 30 years old and I have been living in Cali, Colombia, for more than four years. There I work as a German teacher for... Spanish-speaking people, young and old. I love the German language and develop many modern methodologies to make the German more playful and easier to learn. I also run a blog and a Facebook page, where I present many tips and tricks that make learning German easier. I teach German for all levels and Spanish for beginners. Read more
Availability: Monday (11-14h), Tuesday (11-15h), Tuesday (19-20h), Wednesday (10-10h), Wednesday (14-16h), Thursday (8-8h), Thursday (14-17h), Friday (8-8h), Friday (14-15h), Friday (19-20h), Saturday (14-14h), Saturday (18-20h).
Timezone: America/Bogota (GMT-5)
See in your timezone.
Great choice! Students book in average more than 10 lessons!
Very experienced teacher!
Very experienced teacher!
24.00€ / h
Response time: less than a few hours
I speak: German, English, French, Italian I teach: German, English, French
My name is Christina and I provide fun German and French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to... strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French! I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier! Read more
Availability: Tuesday (7-8h), Tuesday (12-16h), Tuesday (20-23h), Wednesday (7-10h), Wednesday (13-15h), Wednesday (20-23h), Thursday (7-14h), Thursday (19-23h), Friday (7-7h), Friday (20-23h), Saturday (7-23h), Sunday (7-23h).
Timezone: Europe/Berlin (GMT+2)
See in your timezone.
Very experienced teacher!
18.00€ / h
Response time: less than a few hours