German · Greetings & Essentials
"Who?" in German: wer?
wer?
Who in German is wer?. Soft case forms are wen (whom) and wem (to whom). Keep wer for the nominative question.
Door knock
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How to pronounce wer?
Say it
VAIR
/veːɐ̯/
VAIR. Soft w as v, short e as in get. Rising question tone.
"Who?" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| wer? | who? Nominative. | Nominative. |
| wen? | whom? Accusative. | Accusative. |
| wem? | to whom? Dative. | Dative. |
| wessen? | whose? Genitive. | Genitive. |
How to use wer? in real life
- 1Door knock
Wer ist da?
Who's there?
Wer.
- 2Group project
Wer übernimmt die Präsentation?
Who is taking the presentation?
Wer.
- 3Accusative need
Wen soll ich anrufen?
Whom should I call?
Wen counts as wer-case.
Mistakes English speakers make with wer?
Incorrect: Who ist das?
Correct: Wer ist das?
Use wer.
Incorrect: Wer siehst du? (object)
Correct: Wen siehst du?
Object form is wen.
Good to know
Wer ist da? is classic door talk. Soft learners overuse wer where wen/wem belong; natives still understand. Wessen is rarer in speech than whose in English.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Sorting party invites
ChatPal
Wer kommt noch?
Who else is coming?
You
Wer von der Arbeit? Noch unklar.
Who from work? Still unclear.
ChatPal
Und wen ladest du privat ein?
And whom are you inviting privately?
You
Wen ich gut kenne—nur enge Freunde.
Whom I know well—only close friends.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Who?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Who?" in German
Wer vs wen vs wem?
Wer subject; wen object; wem indirect object.
How do you say who is it?
Wer ist da? / Wer ist das?
Whose?
Wessen?
Who of you?
Wer von euch?
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
