Asking "what kind of"
To ask about the category or type of something, German uses the phrase was für ein- (what kind of). The words was für never change, while the ein- part takes standard indefinite article endings based on gender and case.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | was für ein | was für eine | was für ein |
| Accusative | was für einen | was für eine | was für ein |
| Dative | was für einem | was für einer | was für einem |
Neuter and feminine nouns
For neuter nouns (like das Zimmer) and feminine nouns (like die Minibar), the nominative and accusative forms are identical (was für ein and was für eine).
| What kind of single room did you book at the reception? | Was für ein Einzelzimmer haben Sie an der Rezeption gebucht? |
| What kind of minibar is that? | Was für eine Minibar ist das? |
Masculine nouns
When a masculine noun is the direct object, the ending changes to the accusative case (was für einen).
| What kind of elevator does the hotel have? | Was für einen Aufzug hat das Hotel? |
Dative case
When the phrase follows a dative preposition—or a two-way preposition indicating a fixed location—use the dative case. For masculine and neuter nouns, this is was für einem.
| In what kind of double room is the family sleeping? | In was für einem Doppelzimmer schläft die Familie? |
| In what kind of safe did you leave the money? | In was für einem Safe hast du das Geld gelassen? |
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