hvilken/hvilket/hvilke

Which

Level 1

hvilken/hvilket/hvilke = Which
Used to ask for a specific choice among alternatives. It changes based on the noun it describes.

How It Works

The word hvilken is an interrogative pronoun used when you have a limited set of options to choose from.

1. The Determiner Rule
In formal Danish, you use hvilken/hvilket/hvilke when a noun follows immediately. While hvad is technically for general questions, it is very common in casual spoken Danish to hear it used as a determiner (e.g., Hvad farve er bilen?). However, using hvilken is always correct and preferred in writing.

2. Gender and Number Agreement
Just like adjectives, these words must match the noun:
• Hvilken bil? (Which car? - en bil)
• Hvilket hus? (Which house? - et hus)
• Hvilke bøger? (Which books? - plural)

3. Referring to a Whole Clause
A special use of hvilket is as a relative pronoun that refers back to an entire sentence or idea rather than a single noun. In this case, you always use the neuter form: Han glemte min fødselsdag, hvilket gjorde mig ked af det. (He forgot my birthday, which made me sad).

4. Formal Exclamations
You can use hvilken to express surprise or admiration, similar to 'What a...!' in English. You must still follow gender and number agreement:
• Hvilken dag! (What a day! - common gender)
• Hvilket held! (What luck! - neuter gender)
• Hvilke blomster! (What flowers! - plural)

5. Register: Formal vs. Spoken
In daily conversation, Danes often use the phrase hvad for en/et/nogle instead of hvilken. While hvilken is correct, it can sound slightly 'bookish' in informal settings.

Examples (5)

  1. Hvilken bus skal vi tage?

    Which bus should we take?

    Word by Word: Which bus shall we take?

    'Bus' is a common gender noun (en bus), so we use 'hvilken'.

  2. Hvilket sprog taler du?

    Which language do you speak?

    Word by Word: Which language speak you?

    'Sprog' is a neuter noun (et sprog), so we use 'hvilket'.

  3. Hvilke farver kan du lide?

    Which colors do you like?

    Word by Word: Which colors can you like?

    'Farver' is plural, so we use 'hvilke' regardless of the original gender.

  4. Hvilken udsigt!

    What a view!

    Word by Word: Which view!

    In formal or poetic Danish, 'hvilken' can be used for exclamations to mean 'what a'.

  5. Hvilken bog læser du?

    Which book are you reading?

    Word by Word: Which book read you?

    Used here to ask for a specific title among a group of books.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'hvilken' for all nouns regardless of gender.

    Hvilken hus bor du i?
    Hvilket hus bor du i?

    Since 'hus' is a neuter noun (et hus), you must use the neuter form 'hvilket'.

  • Using 'hvilken' as a relative pronoun for people.

    Manden, hvilken jeg så...
    Manden, som jeg så...

    In Danish, you cannot use 'hvilken' to mean 'who' or 'whom' in a relative clause. Use som or der instead.

  • Forgetting that 'hvilket' refers to a whole sentence, not just a noun.

    Han kom for sent, som irriterede mig.
    Han kom for sent, hvilket irriterede mig.

    When you want to say 'which' to refer back to an entire action or clause rather than a specific noun, you must use hvilket.

How It Connects

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hvilken/hvilket/hvilkeLevel 1Which

Learn This First

To use 'hvilken', 'hvilket', and 'hvilke' correctly, you must understand Danish noun genders (common vs. neuter) and the distinction between singular and plural forms, as the pronoun must agree with the noun it modifies. Familiarity with other question words helps establish the basic word order for interrogative sentences.

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hvilken