German · Greetings & Essentials
"Which?" in German: welcher? / welche? / welches?
welcher? / welche? / welches?
Which in German is welcher?, welche?, or welches?, matching the gender of the noun. Say Welcher Zug?, Welche Straße?, Welches Buch?.
At the bakery
Welcher Laib ist frischer?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce welcher? / welche? / welches?
Say it
VEL-kher
/ˈvɛlçɐ/
VEL-kher / VEL-khuh / VEL-chess. Soft ch. Match gender to the noun.
"Which?" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| welcher? | which? (masculine) With der-words: Welcher Bus? | With der-words: Welcher Bus? |
| welche? | which? (feminine/plural) Welche Straße? Welche Schuhe? | Welche Straße? Welche Schuhe? |
| welches? | which? (neuter) Welches Zimmer? | Welches Zimmer? |
| welcher von beiden? | which of the two? Choosing between two. | Choosing between two. |
How to use welcher? / welche? / welches? in real life
- 1At the bakery
Welcher Laib ist frischer?
Which loaf is fresher?
Welcher + masculine.
- 2Choosing a jacket
Welche Jacke nimmst du mit?
Which jacket are you taking?
Welche + feminine.
- 3Picking a film
Welches Drama sollen wir schauen?
Which drama should we watch?
Welches + neuter.
Mistakes English speakers make with welcher? / welche? / welches?
Incorrect: Welche Bus kommt zuerst?
Correct: Welcher Bus kommt zuerst?
Bus is masculine, so welcher.
Incorrect: Was Jacke magst du?
Correct: Welche Jacke magst du?
For which among options, use welcher/welche/welches, not was.
Good to know
Germans expect the ending to match the noun. If you blank on gender, point and say Diese hier? — but learning welcher/welche/welches pays off fast in shops.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing seats on a train
ChatPal
Welcher Wagen ist ruhiger?
Which car is quieter?
You
Welche Nummer steht auf unserem Ticket?
Which number is on our ticket?
ChatPal
Wagen fünf. Welches Abteil nimmst du?
Car five. Which compartment are you taking?
You
Das am Fenster. Welcher Platz ist frei?
The one by the window. Which seat is free?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Which?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Which?" in German
How do I choose welcher/welche/welches?
Match the gender of the noun you are asking about.
Plural which?
Welche: Welche Schuhe?
Which one?
Welcher/welche/welches? or Welcher davon?
Was vs welcher?
Was is what; welcher picks among known options.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
