German Interrogativartikel and Demonstrativartikel: The Ultimate Simple Guide

In German, Interrogativartikel (question articles) and Demonstrativartikel (demonstrative articles) help you ask questions or point out specific things. They’re like “which” and “this/that” in English, but they change depending on the noun’s gender, number, and case. This guide covers everything—forms, uses, examples, and exercises—so you’ll master them easily. Let’s dive in!

Interrogativartikel (Question Articles)

What Are They?

Interrogativartikel are words like “which” or “what” used to ask about specific nouns. The main ones are welcher, welche, welches (which), and they match the noun’s gender and case.

Forms of Welcher

Adjusts to gender (masculine, feminine, neuter, plural) and case (nominative, accusative, dative). No genitive form here (it’s rare—wessen is used instead).

CaseMasculineFeminineNeuterPlural
Nominativewelcherwelchewelcheswelche
Accusativewelchenwelchewelcheswelche
Dativewelchemwelcherwelchemwelchen

How to Use Them

Ask “which one?” about a specific noun. Always followed by a noun (unlike wer or was, which stand alone).

Nominative (Subject)

  1. Welcher Hund bellt so laut? (Which dog is barking so loud?)
  2. Welche Katze gehört dir? (Which cat belongs to you?)
  3. Welches Kind spielt im Park? (Which child is playing in the park?)
  4. Welche Bücher liegen da? (Which books are lying there?)

Accusative (Direct Object)

  1. Welchen Film schaust du? (Which movie are you watching?)
  2. Welche Tasche kaufst du? (Which bag are you buying?)
  3. Welches Spielzeug willst du? (Which toy do you want?)
  4. Welche Freunde triffst du? (Which friends are you meeting?)

Dative (Indirect Object)

  1. Welchem Mann hilfst du? (Which man are you helping?)
  2. Welcher Frau gibst du das Buch? (Which woman are you giving the book to?)
  3. Welchem Kind schreibst du? (Which child are you writing to?)
  4. Welchen Leuten dankst du? (Which people are you thanking?)

Quick Tips:

  • Gender Match: Check the noun’s gender—Hund (masc.), Katze (fem.), Kind (neut.).
  • Case Clue: Use the verb—helfen (dative), kaufen (accusative).

Demonstrativartikel (Demonstrative Articles)

What Are They?

Demonstrativartikel are words like “this” or “that” to point out specific nouns. The main ones are dieser, diese, dieses (this/that), and they change by gender, number, and case.

Forms of Dieser

Matches the noun’s gender and case. Can mean “this” (near) or “that” (far)—context decides.

CaseMasculineFeminineNeuterPlural
Nominativedieserdiesediesesdiese
Accusativediesendiesediesesdiese
Dativediesemdieserdiesemdiesen

How to Use Them

Point to something specific—nearby (this) or farther (that). Always followed by a noun (unlike dies or das, which can stand alone).

Nominative (Subject)

  1. Dieser Hund ist mein Freund. (This dog is my friend.)
  2. Diese Katze schläft viel. (This cat sleeps a lot.)
  3. Dieses Kind lacht laut. (This child laughs loudly.)
  4. Diese Bücher sind neu. (These books are new.)

Accusative (Direct Object)

  1. Ich sehe diesen Film heute. (I’m watching this movie today.)
  2. Sie kauft diese Tasche. (She’s buying this bag.)
  3. Wir nehmen dieses Spielzeug. (We’re taking this toy.)
  4. Er liest diese Zeitungen. (He’s reading these newspapers.)

Dative (Indirect Object)

  1. Ich helfe diesem Mann. (I’m helping this man.)
  2. Sie gibt dieser Frau ein Geschenk. (She’s giving this woman a gift.)
  3. Wir schreiben diesem Kind. (We’re writing to this child.)
  4. Er dankt diesen Freunden. (He’s thanking these friends.)

Quick Tips:

  • Specificity: Use dieser to emphasize—Dieser Hund (THIS dog, not another).
  • Context: Dieser can be “that” if far—Dieser Baum da drüben (That tree over there).

Key Differences

  • Interrogativartikel: Asks “Which one?” (Welcher Hund?—Which dog?)
  • Demonstrativartikel: Answers or points out (Dieser Hund—This dog.)
  • Tone: Welcher is curious; dieser is confident.

Tons of Example Sentences

Interrogativartikel

Nominative

  1. Welcher Junge hat gewonnen? (Which boy won?)
  2. Welche Lehrerin ist nett? (Which teacher is nice?)
  3. Welches Auto fährt schnell? (Which car drives fast?)
  4. Welche Schuhe passen dir? (Which shoes fit you?)

Accusative

  1. Welchen Apfel isst du? (Which apple are you eating?)
  2. Welche Jacke trägst du? (Which jacket are you wearing?)
  3. Welches Lied hörst du? (Which song are you listening to?)
  4. Welche Bilder malst du? (Which pictures are you painting?)

Dative

  1. Welchem Freund schreibst du? (Which friend are you writing to?)
  2. Welcher Schwester hilfst du? (Which sister are you helping?)
  3. Welchem Baby gibst du Milch? (Which baby are you giving milk to?)
  4. Welchen Gästen winkst du? (Which guests are you waving to?)

Demonstrativartikel

Nominative

  1. Dieser Tisch ist alt. (This table is old.)
  2. Diese Blume riecht gut. (This flower smells nice.)
  3. Dieses Haus ist groß. (This house is big.)
  4. Diese Kinder spielen draußen. (These children are playing outside.)

Accusative

  1. Ich kaufe diesen Stuhl. (I’m buying this chair.)
  2. Sie sieht diese Show. (She’s watching this show.)
  3. Wir nehmen dieses Essen. (We’re taking this food.)
  4. Er liebt diese Spiele. (He loves these games.)

Dative

  1. Ich folge diesem Weg. (I’m following this path.)
  2. Sie erklärt dieser Gruppe die Regeln. (She’s explaining the rules to this group.)
  3. Wir zeigen diesem Gast das Zimmer. (We’re showing this guest the room.)
  4. Er vertraut diesen Leuten. (He trusts these people.)

Sentence Structure

  • Questions with Interrogativartikel: Welcher first, then verb, then rest.
    • Welchen Film siehst du? (Which movie are you watching?)
  • Statements with Demonstrativartikel: Dieser before noun, normal word order.
    • Dieser Film ist toll. (This movie is great.)
  • Negation: Nicht after verb, before object.
    • Ich kenne diesen Mann nicht. (I don’t know this man.)

Creative Exercises with Multiple-Choice Options

Exercise 1: Interrogativartikel – Pick the Right Form

  1. ___ Hund gehört dir? (Nominative)
  2. ___ Tasche kaufst du? (Accusative)
  3. ___ Kind hilfst du? (Dative)
  4. ___ Film schaust du? (Accusative)
  5. ___ Freunden dankst du? (Dative)

Exercise 2: Demonstrativartikel – Pick the Right Form

  1. ___ Hund ist süß. (Nominative)
  2. Ich sehe ___ Katze. (Accusative)
  3. Ich helfe ___ Mann. (Dative)
  4. Wir kaufen ___ Tisch. (Accusative)
  5. Er winkt ___ Leuten. (Dative)

Exercise 3: Interrogativartikel vs. Demonstrativartikel

  1. ___ Buch liest du? (Question)
  2. ___ Buch ist meins. (Pointing)
  3. ___ Freund hilfst du? (Question)
  4. Ich sehe ___ Auto. (Pointing)
  5. ___ Lehrer dankst du? (Question)

Exercise 4: Mixed Cases

  1. ___ Frau gehört das? (Nominative, Question)
  2. Ich kaufe ___ Stuhl. (Accusative, Pointing)
  3. ___ Kind gibst du das? (Dative, Question)
  4. ___ Blumen sind schön. (Nominative, Pointing)
  5. ___ Hund siehst du? (Accusative, Question)

Exercise 5: Story with Both

Fill in with the correct interrogativ- or demonstrativartikel.

___ (1) Hund bellt da draußen? Ich sehe ___ (2) Hund jetzt. ___ (3) Katze gibst du Milch? Ich helfe ___ (4) Katze später. ___ (5) Bücher sind deine?

Tips to Master Interrogativ- and Demonstrativartikel

  • Sing the Forms: Chant welcher, welche, welches and dieser, diese, dieses—make it catchy!
  • Case Check: Ask “What’s the verb doing?”—sehen (accusative), helfen (dative).
  • Gender Game: Match nouns—Hund (welcher/dieser), Tasche (welche/diese).
  • Point and Ask: Practice pointing (Dieser Baum!) and asking (Welcher Baum?).
  • Daily Use: Say Welches Brot willst du? at breakfast, Diese Tasse ist meine at coffee time.

You’re Ready!

This guide covers interrogativ- and demonstrativartikel completely—forms, uses, examples, and exercises. You’re ready to ask and point like a native! Next, you could explore relative pronouns or mix these with Perfekt—your choice!

See Also

Perfekt & Partizip II German Dative A2 Topics
Next: Doch →