hvad for en

Which One (Hvad for En)

Level 2

hvad for en is the standard way to say 'which' or 'what kind of' in spoken Danish. It changes based on the noun: en (common), et (neuter), noget (uncountable), or nogle (plural).

How It Works

In Danish, hvad for en is an essential part of the spoken register. It is used to identify a specific item from a set or to ask about the category of an object.

1. Agreement with Nouns
The phrase must match the noun it refers to:

  • Common gender (en-words): Hvad for en bil? (Which car?)
  • Neuter gender (et-words): Hvad for et hus? (Which house?)
  • Uncountable/Mass nouns: Hvad for noget mad? (What kind of food?)
  • Plural: Hvad for nogle sko? (Which shoes?)

2. The Split Construction
In natural speech, 'hvad' is often separated from the rest of the phrase by the verb (usually er). For example: Hvad er det for en film? (What kind of movie is that?).

3. The 'Der' Rule in Subordinate Clauses
When using this phrase in indirect questions where the phrase is the subject of the clause, you must add der. For example: Jeg ved ikke, hvad for en der virker. (I don't know which one works).

4. People And Objects
The pattern also works with people, such as Hvad for en lærer har du? (Which teacher do you have?). For a neutral identity question, use hvem (who) or hvilken (which).

5. Word Order (V2 Rule)
Like all wh-questions, this phrase triggers the V2 rule in main clauses, meaning the verb must be the second element.

Asking Someone To Repeat: Standing alone, Hvad for noget? can mean What? or Pardon? It may request repetition or express surprise. Tone determines how abrupt it sounds; it need not ask about a particular kind of substance.

Examples (6)

  1. Hvad for en film skal vi se?

    Which movie should we watch?

    Word by Word: What for a movie shall we see?

    Since 'film' is a common gender noun (en film), we use 'en'.

  2. Hvad for noget musik kan du lide?

    What kind of music do you like?

    Word by Word: What for some music can you like?

    For uncountable mass nouns like 'musik', we use 'hvad for noget'.

  3. Hvad er det for en bog?

    What kind of book is that?

    Word by Word: What is it for a book?

    This is a 'split construction' where 'hvad' and 'for en' are separated by the verb. It often asks about the category or type of something.

  4. Jeg ved ikke, hvad for en der er din.

    I don't know which one is yours.

    Word by Word: I know not, what for one there is yours.

    When 'hvad for en' acts as the subject in a subordinate clause, we must add der.

  5. Hvad for nogle vil du have?

    Which ones do you want?

    Word by Word: What for some will you have?

    When referring to plural items, 'en/et' changes to 'nogle'.

  6. Jeg ved ikke, hvad for et tog vi skal med.

    I don't know which train we are taking.

    Word by Word: I know not, what for a train we shall with.

    Since 'tog' is a neuter noun (et tog), we use 'et'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'hvad for en' to refer to people in a standalone way.

    Hvad for en er din lærer?
    Hvem er din lærer?

    Hvem er din lærer is a neutral identity question. Hvad for en er din lærer can select one person from a known group, so it is not universally wrong. Hvad for en lærer har du is also grammatical.

  • Forgetting 'der' when the phrase is the subject of an indirect question.

    Jeg ved ikke, hvad for en er bedst.
    Jeg ved ikke, hvad for en der er bedst.

    In indirect questions, if the question phrase is the subject, you must add der after it.

  • Using 'en' or 'et' for uncountable things like food or abstract concepts.

    Hvad for en mad kan du lide?
    Hvad for noget mad kan du lide?

    Hvad for noget is a useful default for an uncountable mass. Some nouns also have countable senses: en mad can mean an open sandwich, so Hvad for en mad asks about that item rather than food generally.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

hvad for enLevel 2Which One (Hvad for En)

Learn This First

To use 'hvad for en/et/nogle' correctly, you need to understand the basic question word 'hvad' and how Danish nouns use gender (en/et) and number (nogle) to agree with articles and quantifiers.

Words in This Pattern

hvad for