hvis (ejefald)

Whose (Hvis)

Level 2

Hvis is the Danish word for whose. It is used to ask who something belongs to (interrogative) or to link a person/thing to something they possess (relative).

How It Works

1. Interrogative Use (Questions)
In direct and indirect questions, hvis functions as a possessive question word.
Example: Hvis bil er det? (Whose car is it?)
Note that in modern spoken Danish, this can sound slightly formal. You might hear people use alternative phrases like 'Hvem ejer...' (Who owns...) or the colloquial 'Hvem sin...', though hvis remains the standard written form.

2. Relative Use (Relative Clauses)
Hvis is used to connect a noun to a possessive description. It works for people, animals, and objects.
Example: Manden, hvis hund er væk... (The man whose dog is gone...)

3. The Indefinite Rule
A common trap for learners is the form of the noun following hvis. In Danish, you must use the indefinite form (e.g., bil, hus, bøger) rather than the definite form (bilen, huset, bøgerne).

  • Correct: Hvis bog er det?
  • Incorrect: *Hvis bogen er det?

4. Homonyms
Be careful not to confuse this with the conjunction hvis (meaning 'if'). They are spelled and pronounced the same [ves], but their position in the sentence is different. The possessive hvis is always followed by a noun.

Examples (4)

  1. Hvis tur er det til at vaske op?

    Whose turn is it to do the dishes?

    Word by Word: Whose turn is it to to wash up?

    Here 'hvis' is used in a direct question. Notice 'tur' is in the indefinite form.

  2. Jeg kender en mand, hvis søster bor i Tokyo.

    I know a man whose sister lives in Tokyo.

    Word by Word: I know a man, whose sister lives in Tokyo.

    In this relative clause, 'hvis' links the man to his sister.

  3. Det er et firma, hvis ansatte er meget dygtige.

    It is a company whose employees are very skilled.

    Word by Word: It is a company, whose employees are very skilled.

    This shows that 'hvis' can refer to objects/organizations, not just people.

  4. Jeg ved ikke, hvis bog jeg har lånt.

    I don't know whose book I have borrowed.

    Word by Word: I know not, whose book I have borrowed.

    An example of 'hvis' used in an indirect question.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the definite form of the noun after 'hvis'.

    Hvis bilen er det?
    Hvis bil er det?

    In Danish, the noun following 'hvis' must be indefinite. Even though you are talking about a specific car, you cannot add the -en/-et suffix.

  • Confusing 'hvis' (whose) with 'hvis' (if) in indirect questions.

    Jeg ved ikke, hvis han kommer.
    Jeg ved ikke, om han kommer.

    If you mean 'if' or 'whether' in an indirect question, you must use 'om'. 'Hvis' as 'if' is only for conditional statements.

How It Connects

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

hvis (ejefald)Level 2Whose (Hvis)

Learn This First

To understand 'hvis', you need to be familiar with how Danish forms questions using question words. You also need to understand the concept of possession (genitive) and how relative clauses are structured to link information to a noun.

Words in This Pattern

hvis