This lesson covers Dutch question pronouns like wie (who), wat (what), and welk(e) (which). Learn to distinguish their use when asking about people, things, or choices, including examples such as 'Wie gaat naar het postkantoor?' and 'Welk e-mailadres heb je gebruikt?'.
- Which do you use for choices between two or more things.
- 'Wat' is used for animals, things or actions.
- 'Wie' is used for one or more persons.
| Voornaamwoord (Pronoun) | Voorbeeld (Example) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bijvoeglijk en zelfstandig gebruik (Attributive and predicative use) | welk(e) | Welk e-mailadres heb je gebruikt? (Which email address did you use?) |
| wat voor (een) | Wat voor pakket is dit? (What kind of parcel is this?) | |
| Zelfstandig gebruik (Independent use) | wie | Wie gaat naar het postkantoor? (Who is going to the post office?) |
| wat | Wat staat er in de brief? (What is written in the letter?) |
Exceptions!
- Which do you use for het-woorden.
- Which do you use for de-words.
Exercise 1: Vragende voornaamwoorden (wie, wat, welk(e))
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
wat, Wie, Wat, Welk, Welke
1.
... is er precies verstuurd in dat bericht?
(What exactly was sent in that message?)
2.
Ik weet niet ... ik moet antwoorden op die e-mail.
(I don't know what to answer to that email.)
3.
... postzegel hoort bij deze brief?
(Which stamp belongs to this letter?)
4.
... pakket moet ik naar het postkantoor brengen?
(Which package do I need to take to the post office?)
5.
... is de ontvanger van dit pakket?
(Who is the recipient of this package?)
6.
... staat er in die brief van de verzender?
(What is in that letter from the sender?)
7.
... heeft deze e-mail gisteren ontvangen?
(Who received this email yesterday?)
8.
... brief moet ik eerst beantwoorden?
(Which letter should I answer first?)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct sentence in which the interrogative pronoun is used correctly. Pay attention to whether it concerns people, things, or choices and follow the rules for 'who', 'what', and 'which'.
1.
'Which' is incorrect because this is for choices between things, not for people.
'What' is wrong because we ask about a person, not a thing or action.
2.
'What' is incorrect because it concerns a choice between items, not an indefinite thing or action.
'Who' is wrong because we do not refer to a person.
3.
'Who' is wrong because we do not ask about people.
'Which' is incorrect because there is no choice between multiple things in this context.
4.
'Which' is wrong because 'department' is a de-word, so you use 'which'.
'What' is wrong because here we ask about a specific choice (department), not about a thing or action.
