hvem der/hvad der

Der in Indirect Subject Questions

Level 2

In Danish, when you ask an indirect question (e.g., 'I don't know who...') and the question word is the subject, you must add the particle der immediately after it.

How It Works

Danish subordinate clauses have a strict requirement: they must have a visible subject in the subject position. When an interrogative word like hvem, hvad, hvilken, or hvor mange functions as the subject, it leaves a 'gap' in the standard word order. The particle der is inserted to fill this gap.

When to use it:

  • Subject Position: Use it when the question word (or phrase) is the subject.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvem der ringede. (I don't know who called.)
  • Object Position: Do NOT use it when the question word is the object.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvem han så. (I don't know who he saw.) Here, 'han' is the subject.
  • The 'Det' Exception: With være, we often use det er. In Jeg ved ikke, hvem det er, 'det' is the subject, so no 'der' is needed.

Word Order & Adverbs:
In these clauses, sentence adverbs like ikke or altid must be placed after 'der' but before the verb: Jeg ved ikke, hvem der ikke kommer.

Formal Subject 'Der':
For verbs like 'ske' (to happen) that use der, the word order changes from the direct question (Hvad skete der?) to the indirect form (Jeg ved ikke, hvad der skete), where 'der' moves to the subject position before the verb.

Examples (5)

  1. Jeg ved ikke, hvem der har spist min kage.

    I don't know who has eaten my cake.

    Word by Word: I know not, who there has eaten my cake.

    'Hvem' is the subject (the one who ate), so 'der' is required.

  2. Kan du se, hvad der skete?

    Can you see what happened?

    Word by Word: Can you see, what there happened?

    'Hvad' is the subject of the verb 'skete', so 'der' must follow it.

  3. Vi ved ikke, hvor mange der kommer til festen.

    We don't know how many (people) are coming to the party.

    Word by Word: We know not, how many there come to the party.

    'Hvor mange' acts as the subject here, requiring 'der'.

  4. Jeg gad vide, hvilken bil der er hurtigst.

    I wonder which car is fastest.

    Word by Word: I would know, which car there is fastest.

    'Hvilken bil' is the subject of the indirect question.

  5. Ved du, hvem han taler med?

    Do you know who he is talking to?

    Word by Word: Know you, who he talks with?

    No 'der' is used here because 'han' is the subject, and 'hvem' is the object.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting 'der' in an indirect subject question.

    Jeg ved ikke hvem ringede.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvem der ringede.

    In English, you say 'who called', but Danish requires the placeholder 'der' to satisfy subordinate clause word order when the question word is the subject.

  • Placing 'ikke' after the verb in these clauses.

    Jeg ved ikke, hvem der kommer ikke.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvem der ikke kommer.

    In subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like ikke must be placed between the subject 'der' and the verb.

  • Using direct question word order with verbs like 'ske'.

    Jeg ved ikke, hvad skete der.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvad der skete.

    Even with verbs that use an expletive der, the 'der' must move to the subject position before the verb in an indirect question.

How It Connects

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hvem der/hvad derLevel 2Der in Indirect Subject Questions

Learn This First

To understand 'hvem der' and 'hvad der', you first need to know how to form basic indirect questions. You also need to understand the role of 'der' as a placeholder for the subject in subordinate clauses, which is similar to its use as a relative pronoun.

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Words in This Pattern

derhvad