Question Word - wer (who)

German uses a case system: Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and Genitive. The word wer follows this system perfectly. It acts just like the masculine article der. If you know der, den, dem, and des, you already know 90% of this! You choose the form based on the person's role. If the person is the subject (doing the action), use wer. If they are the direct object (having something done to them), use wen. If they are the indirect object (receiving something), use wem. Finally, if you are asking about possession, use wessen. It sounds like a lot, but it is just four words to learn. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Each color tells you exactly what to do. Yes, even native speakers occasionally trip over wen and wem when they are tired, so do not stress too much! Just focus on the role of the person in the sentence.

1. 1To use wer correctly, follow these simple steps:
2. 2Identify the person you are asking about.
3. 3Determine their grammatical role in the sentence.
4. 4Match the role to the correct case form:
5. 5Nominative (Subject): wer (Who?)
6. 6Accusative (Direct Object): wen (Whom?)
7. 7Dative (Indirect Object): wem (To/for whom?)
8. 8Genitive (Possession): wessen (Whose?)
9. 9Place the question word at the very beginning of the sentence.
10. 10Conjugate the verb. Pro tip: wer almost always takes a singular verb (like "he/she/it").

You will use these forms in almost every daily interaction. Here are some real-world scenarios:

• At a Party: You see someone new. You ask, Wer ist das? (Who is that?).
• Ordering Food: The waiter comes out with a pizza. He asks, Wer bekommt die Pizza? (Who gets the pizza?).
• Asking Directions: You need help. You ask yourself, Wen kann ich fragen? (Whom can I ask?).
• In the Office: You find a lost key. You ask, Wessen Schlüssel ist das? (Whose key is this?).
• Giving a Gift: You have a present. You ask, Wem soll ich das Geschenk geben? (To whom should I give the gift?).

It is also essential for clarifying information. If someone says, "I saw him yesterday," you might ask Wen? to find out who "him" was. It keeps the conversation moving and ensures you are both talking about the same person.

Do not use wer for things or objects. If you are asking about a pizza, use was (what), not wer. Even if that pizza is the most important thing in your life right now! Also, be careful with animals. In German, pets are often referred to with wer if they have a name, but inanimate objects never are. Another trap: do not use wer as a relative pronoun in the middle of a sentence (like "The man who..."). That is a different rule entirely. Stick to using wer for direct questions for now. Finally, do not use it when you are choosing from a specific group. If there are five people and you want to know "which one," use welcher instead of wer.

The most common mistake is using wer for everything. English speakers love to say Wer liebst du? but that is wrong! It should be Wen liebst du? because the person is the object of your love. Another classic error is the verb conjugation. Even if you are asking about a group of people, the verb stays singular. You say Wer kommt mit? (Who is coming along?), not Wer kommen mit?. It feels weird, but think of wer as a singular "detective" looking for answers. Also, watch out for prepositions. If a preposition like mit or für comes before the person, it will force a specific case. Mit wem? (With whom?) is Dative, while Für wen? (For whom?) is Accusative. Forgetting this is like putting your shoes on the wrong feet—you can still walk, but it looks a bit funny.

How does wer compare to was? It is simple: wer is for people, was is for things.

• Wer ist das? (Who is that person?)
• Was ist das? (What is that thing?)

How does it compare to welcher?

• Wer is open-ended. You have no idea who it could be.
• Welcher is for a specific selection. "Which of these three people?"

Think of wer as a blank canvas and welcher as a multiple-choice quiz. Also, remember that wer declines like der, while was does not change much at all. This makes wer more complex but also more precise.