Word
Was ist das für ein Ding?
Meaning
What kind of thing is that?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Was ist das für ein Ding?
Why are was and für ein separated by ist das in this sentence?
In spoken German, it is very common to split the question phrase was für ein (what kind of). Instead of keeping it together like Was für ein Ding ist das?, the word was takes the first position, and für ein Ding is pushed to the end. Both versions are correct, but this split version sounds very natural in everyday conversation.
How does this question connect to the current lesson on so ein and solch-?
The interrogative phrase was für ein asks precisely for the type or quality of something, making it the perfect question word for an answer using so ein or solch-. If someone asks Was ist das für ein Ding?, you could answer using this lesson's grammar: Das ist so ein Ding, das... (That is the kind of thing that...).
Since für is in the sentence, shouldn't it force the accusative case?
Usually, the preposition für always takes the accusative case. However, the fixed phrase was für ein is an exception. It doesn't act like a normal preposition here. Instead, the case of the noun depends on its role in the sentence. Because it is linked to the subject by the verb ist (to be), ein Ding stays in the nominative case.
Why do we use the pronoun das if we don't even know what the thing is yet?