"wer" meaning in German

See wer in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Pronoun

IPA: /veːr/, [veːɐ̯], [vɛɐ̯], [ʋ-] Audio: De-wer.ogg , De-wer2.ogg Forms: no-table-tags [table-tags], wer [nominative], wessen [genitive], wes [dated, genitive], wem [dative], wen [accusative]
Rhymes: -eːɐ̯ Etymology: From Middle High German wër, from Old High German wër, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ. Related to wo. Etymology templates: {{dercat|de|gem-pro|ine-pro|inh=2}}, {{inh|de|gmh|wër}} Middle High German wër, {{inh|de|goh|wër}} Old High German wër, {{inh|de|gmw-pro|*hwaʀ}} Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ Head templates: {{head|de|pronoun|cat2=interrogative pronouns|cat3=relative pronouns}} wer
  1. (interrogative) who (what person or people) Tags: interrogative
    Sense id: en-wer-de-pron-dxNfliQz
  2. (interrogative, colloquial) what, which (one) (see usage notes) Tags: colloquial, interrogative
    Sense id: en-wer-de-pron-5gC3xRPG
  3. (relative) whoever, he who, someone who, the person who, anyone who (whatever person or persons) Tags: relative
    Sense id: en-wer-de-pron-S0p0wGn4
  4. (indefinite, colloquial) somebody, someone; anybody, anyone (an unspecified person) Tags: colloquial, indefinite Synonyms: jemand, einer
    Sense id: en-wer-de-pron-BP0eZqsq Categories (other): German entries with incorrect language header, German interrogative pronouns, German pronouns, German relative pronouns Disambiguation of German entries with incorrect language header: 23 7 21 49 Disambiguation of German interrogative pronouns: 22 16 19 43 Disambiguation of German pronouns: 23 20 22 34 Disambiguation of German relative pronouns: 22 16 19 43
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: irgendwer, Wemfall, Wenfall, wer da, Werdaruf, Werfall Coordinate_terms: was

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "was"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "irgendwer"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Wemfall"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Wenfall"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wer da"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Werdaruf"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "Werfall"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "ine-pro",
        "inh": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "dercat"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "gmh",
        "3": "wër"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German wër",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "goh",
        "3": "wër"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German wër",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hwaʀ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle High German wër, from Old High German wër, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ. Related to wo.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "no-table-tags",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "glossary",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wer",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "nominative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wessen",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "genitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wes",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "genitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wem",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wen",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "accusative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "cat2": "interrogative pronouns",
        "cat3": "relative pronouns"
      },
      "expansion": "wer",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "German",
  "lang_code": "de",
  "pos": "pron",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Who said that?",
          "text": "Wer hat das gesagt?",
          "translation": "Who said that?",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "who (what person or people)"
      ],
      "id": "en-wer-de-pron-dxNfliQz",
      "links": [
        [
          "who",
          "who"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(interrogative) who (what person or people)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "interrogative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "what, which (one) (see usage notes)"
      ],
      "id": "en-wer-de-pron-5gC3xRPG",
      "links": [
        [
          "what",
          "what"
        ],
        [
          "which",
          "which"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(interrogative, colloquial) what, which (one) (see usage notes)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "interrogative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              7
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Whoever has a question, put up their hands now.",
          "text": "Wer eine Frage hat, kann sich jetzt melden.",
          "translation": "Whoever has a question, put up their hands now.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "english": "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.",
          "raw_tags": [
            "proverb"
          ],
          "text": "Wer im Glashaus sitzt, soll nicht mit Steinen werfen.",
          "translation": "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "whoever, he who, someone who, the person who, anyone who (whatever person or persons)"
      ],
      "id": "en-wer-de-pron-S0p0wGn4",
      "links": [
        [
          "whoever",
          "whoever"
        ],
        [
          "he",
          "he"
        ],
        [
          "someone",
          "someone"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "anyone",
          "anyone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(relative) whoever, he who, someone who, the person who, anyone who (whatever person or persons)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "relative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "23 7 21 49",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "German entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 16 19 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "German interrogative pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 20 22 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "German pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 16 19 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "German relative pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              7,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              8,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "english": "There's someone at the door.",
          "text": "Da ist wer an der Tür.",
          "translation": "There's someone at the door.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "somebody, someone; anybody, anyone (an unspecified person)"
      ],
      "id": "en-wer-de-pron-BP0eZqsq",
      "links": [
        [
          "somebody",
          "somebody"
        ],
        [
          "someone",
          "someone"
        ],
        [
          "anybody",
          "anybody"
        ],
        [
          "anyone",
          "anyone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(indefinite, colloquial) somebody, someone; anybody, anyone (an unspecified person)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "jemand"
        },
        {
          "word": "einer"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "indefinite"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/veːr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[veːɐ̯]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[vɛɐ̯]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ʋ-]"
    },
    {
      "audio": "De-wer.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3e/De-wer.ogg/De-wer.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/De-wer.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "De-wer2.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5e/De-wer2.ogg/De-wer2.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/De-wer2.ogg"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Wehr"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eːɐ̯"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wer"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "German entries with incorrect language header",
    "German interrogative pronouns",
    "German lemmas",
    "German pronouns",
    "German relative pronouns",
    "German terms derived from Middle High German",
    "German terms derived from Old High German",
    "German terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "German terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "German terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "German terms inherited from Middle High German",
    "German terms inherited from Old High German",
    "German terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "German terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European",
    "German terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "German terms with homophones",
    "Pages with 19 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:German/eːɐ̯",
    "Rhymes:German/eːɐ̯/1 syllable"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "was"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "irgendwer"
    },
    {
      "word": "Wemfall"
    },
    {
      "word": "Wenfall"
    },
    {
      "word": "wer da"
    },
    {
      "word": "Werdaruf"
    },
    {
      "word": "Werfall"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "ine-pro",
        "inh": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "dercat"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "gmh",
        "3": "wër"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German wër",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "goh",
        "3": "wër"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German wër",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*hwaʀ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle High German wër, from Old High German wër, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ. Related to wo.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "no-table-tags",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "table-tags"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "glossary",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "inflection-template"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wer",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "nominative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wessen",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "genitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wes",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "genitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wem",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "dative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wen",
      "source": "declension",
      "tags": [
        "accusative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "cat2": "interrogative pronouns",
        "cat3": "relative pronouns"
      },
      "expansion": "wer",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "German",
  "lang_code": "de",
  "pos": "pron",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "German terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Who said that?",
          "text": "Wer hat das gesagt?",
          "translation": "Who said that?",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "who (what person or people)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "who",
          "who"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(interrogative) who (what person or people)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "interrogative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "German colloquialisms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "what, which (one) (see usage notes)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "what",
          "what"
        ],
        [
          "which",
          "which"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(interrogative, colloquial) what, which (one) (see usage notes)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "interrogative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "German terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              7
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Whoever has a question, put up their hands now.",
          "text": "Wer eine Frage hat, kann sich jetzt melden.",
          "translation": "Whoever has a question, put up their hands now.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "english": "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.",
          "raw_tags": [
            "proverb"
          ],
          "text": "Wer im Glashaus sitzt, soll nicht mit Steinen werfen.",
          "translation": "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "whoever, he who, someone who, the person who, anyone who (whatever person or persons)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "whoever",
          "whoever"
        ],
        [
          "he",
          "he"
        ],
        [
          "someone",
          "someone"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "anyone",
          "anyone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(relative) whoever, he who, someone who, the person who, anyone who (whatever person or persons)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "relative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "German colloquialisms",
        "German terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              7,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              8,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "english": "There's someone at the door.",
          "text": "Da ist wer an der Tür.",
          "translation": "There's someone at the door.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "somebody, someone; anybody, anyone (an unspecified person)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "somebody",
          "somebody"
        ],
        [
          "someone",
          "someone"
        ],
        [
          "anybody",
          "anybody"
        ],
        [
          "anyone",
          "anyone"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(indefinite, colloquial) somebody, someone; anybody, anyone (an unspecified person)"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "jemand"
        },
        {
          "word": "einer"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "indefinite"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/veːr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[veːɐ̯]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[vɛɐ̯]"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ʋ-]"
    },
    {
      "audio": "De-wer.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3e/De-wer.ogg/De-wer.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/De-wer.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "De-wer2.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5e/De-wer2.ogg/De-wer2.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/De-wer2.ogg"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "Wehr"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eːɐ̯"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wer"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wer meaning in German (5.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable German dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.