was
what · what (in indirect questions) · what (in exclamations)
Was is the German question word for 'what'. It is used to ask about things, actions, or ideas, and also appears in indirect questions and exclamations. It is one of the most common words in German.
What was means
- what — Asking for information about something
- what (in indirect questions) — Introducing a subordinate clause that reports a question
- what (in exclamations) — Expressing surprise or emphasis
Heard in real German videos
Lines where was was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Was bedeutet das, Peppa?What does that mean, Peppa?
- Was hast du noch ausspioniert?What else did you spy out?
- Karen, was ist das denn?Karen, what is this?
Example sentences
- Was ist das?What is that?
- Ich weiß nicht, was er will.I don't know what he wants.
- Was für ein schöner Tag!What a beautiful day!
Grammar
| Type | Interrogative pronoun |
|---|---|
| Case | Nominative/Accusative |
Was does not change form for case or gender. It is used for things, not people.
Common phrases
- was fürwhat kind of
- was ist los?what's wrong? / what's happening?
- was auch immerwhatever
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers sometimes confuse 'was' (what) with 'dass' (that as conjunction). For example, 'Ich weiß, was du meinst' means 'I know what you mean', but 'Ich weiß, dass du es meinst' means 'I know that you mean it'. Do not use 'was' to mean 'that' in sentences like 'I know that he is here'.
Don’t confuse it with
- wer — Wer means 'who' and is used for people, while was means 'what' and is used for things.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 'was' and 'welche'?
Was asks for a general thing, while welche asks for a choice among specific items. For example, 'Was möchtest du?' means 'What do you want?' but 'Welches Buch möchtest du?' means 'Which book do you want?'
Can 'was' be used to refer to people?
No, 'was' is only for things. For people, use 'wer' (who).
How do you say 'what' in German when you didn't hear something?
You can say 'Wie bitte?' or simply 'Was?' but 'Was?' alone can sound abrupt. 'Wie bitte?' is more polite.