hvilket (relativpronomen)

Which (Referring to a Clause) (Hvilket)

Level 3

Use hvilket after a comma to comment on a whole situation. It translates to 'which' in sentences like: 'He was late, which was a shame.'

How It Works

The relative pronoun hvilket is a sophisticated tool used primarily in written or formal Danish to link a new observation to a previous statement.

1. Function:
It introduces a relative clause that evaluates or provides a consequence for the entire preceding fact. For example, in 'He forgot his keys, which was annoying,' the word 'which' refers to the whole act of forgetting, not just the keys.

2. Grammar Rules:

  • Comma: It must always be preceded by a comma.
  • Gender: It is always in the neuter form (ending in -t) because a clause or idea is conceptually neuter in Danish. It does not change to match nouns in the sentence.
  • Subject Role: Unlike the informal hvad, hvilket can function as the subject of the relative clause on its own without needing to add der.

3. Register:
In spoken Danish, people often use 'og det' (and that) or hvad instead of hvilket. Note that if you use the informal hvad as a subject, you must add der (hvad der), whereas hvilket remains the standard, standalone choice for journalism, academic writing, and formal emails.

Examples (4)

  1. Han kom ikke til festen, hvilket var en skam.

    He didn't come to the party, which was a shame.

    Word by Word: He came not to the-party, which was a shame.

    Here, 'hvilket' refers to the entire fact that he didn't come.

  2. Toget var aflyst, hvilket betød, at vi måtte tage bussen.

    The train was cancelled, which meant that we had to take the bus.

    Word by Word: The-train was cancelled, which meant, that we must take the-bus.

    The cancellation (the whole situation) is the antecedent for 'hvilket'.

  3. Hun bestod alle sine eksaminer, hvilket gjorde hendes forældre stolte.

    She passed all her exams, which made her parents proud.

    Word by Word: She passed all her exams, which made her parents proud.

    The act of passing all exams is what made the parents proud.

  4. Det regnede hele dagen, hvilket ødelagde vores planer.

    It rained all day, which ruined our plans.

    Word by Word: It rained whole the-day, which ruined our plans.

    The continuous rain is the situation being commented on.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'som' or 'der' to refer to a whole clause.

    Han var forsinket, som var irriterende.
    Han var forsinket, hvilket var irriterende.

    In Danish, 'som' and 'der' can only refer to a specific noun or pronoun. To refer to a whole idea, you must use 'hvilket' (or 'hvad' in informal speech).

  • Using the common gender 'hvilken' instead of 'hvilket'.

    De vandt kampen, hvilken var en overraskelse.
    De vandt kampen, hvilket var en overraskelse.

    Even if the subject of the first clause is common gender (like 'kampen'), the relative pronoun referring to the whole event must be neuter ('hvilket').

How It Connects

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

hvilket (relativpronomen)Level 3Which (Referring to a Clause) (Hvilket)

Learn This First

To use 'hvilket' as a relative pronoun referring to a whole statement, you first need to be familiar with the basic pronoun 'hvilket' and how relative clauses are structured in Danish. Since 'hvilket' introduces a subordinate clause, you must also understand the specific word order used in such clauses.

Words in This Pattern

hvilken