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Hvilket tog tager vi, og hvilken perron er det?

Hvilket tog tager vi, og hvilken perron er det?
Which train are we taking, and which platform is it?
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Questions & Answers about Hvilket tog tager vi, og hvilken perron er det?

How do I know to use bolded form hvilket in the first clause and hvilken in the second?

Danish has three forms of “which” that agree with the noun:

  • hvilket = neuter singular (e.g., tog is neuter: et tog)
  • hvilken = common gender singular (e.g., perron is common: en perron)
  • hvilke = plural (for any gender) So: Hvilket tog… but Hvilken perron…
Why is the verb right after the wh‑phrase (word order question)?

Main‑clause questions in Danish are V2 (verb-second). The wh‑phrase takes first position, and the finite verb comes second:

  • Clause 1: [Hvilket tog] (position 1) tager (2) vi (3) …
  • Clause 2: [Hvilken perron] (1) er (2) det (3) … This is why you get tager vi and er det.
Why present tense tager instead of a future form?

Danish often uses the present to talk about near-future plans and schedules:

  • Hvilket tog tager vi? = “Which train are we taking?” You can use auxiliaries for nuance:
  • skal (planned/obligatory): Hvilket tog skal vi tage?
  • vil (intention): Hvilket tog vil vi tage?
Why is it det and not den in hvilken perron er det? when perron is common gender?

In identifying sentences, Danish typically uses the neutral introductory pronoun det regardless of the noun’s gender: Det er perron 3.
Use den/det to refer back to a known noun with an adjective: Perronen? Den er lang.
So the question form Hvilken perron er det? is standard.

Could I say Hvilken perron er vi på? instead?

Yes. Options, with slight shifts in focus:

  • Hvilken perron er det? = “Which platform is it?” (it = the departure/train/info)
  • Hvilken perron er vi på? = “Which platform are we on?”
  • More explicit about departure: Hvilken perron kører/afgår toget fra? or formal fronting Fra hvilken perron kører/afgår toget?
Is the comma before og necessary?
Many Danes use a comma before og when joining two independent clauses/questions. With the “new comma” system it can be optional, but it’s safe and common to keep it here because there are two full questions.
Is tog singular or plural here? How can I tell?

Here it’s singular because of hvilket (neuter singular). Forms:

  • Singular: et tog, definite toget
  • Plural: tog, definite plural togene Plural “which trains?” would be Hvilke tog tager vi?
Does tog also mean “took” in Danish? Isn’t that confusing?

Yes. tog is:

  • the noun “train”
  • the past tense of tage (“to take”): vi tog = “we took” Context disambiguates. Fun example: Vi tog toget. (“We took the train.”)
Can I drop er det and just say … og hvilken perron?

In casual speech you can leave it elliptical: Hvilket tog tager vi, og hvilken perron?
In writing, it’s better to include the verb (as in your sentence) for completeness.

Why not hvilken perronen?

Interrogatives like hvilken/hvilket/hvilke take an indefinite noun. You can’t combine them with the definite suffix:

  • Correct: Hvilken perron er det?
  • Not: ✗ Hvilken perronen …
    If you need definiteness, rephrase: Hvilken er perronen? (rare/marked) or better: Hvilken perron er det?
Is og the right conjunction here? Could I use eller?

og = “and” (you’re asking two separate questions together).
eller = “or” (offers a choice), which would change the meaning. So og is correct here.

Are there more natural ways to ask about the train we’ll take?

Yes, all common:

  • Hvilket tog tager vi? (neutral)
  • Hvilket tog skal vi tage? (plan/intention)
  • Hvilket tog skal vi med? (colloquial: “Which train are we getting on?”)
Should I ask about perron or spor?

Both exist but differ:

  • perron = the platform area you stand on
  • spor = the track number used on signage/announcements
    At stations, people often ask: Hvilket spor er det? / Hvilket spor afgår toget fra?
Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky words?
  • hvilket/hvilken: the h is silent; starts with a v sound. Roughly “VIL-ket / VIL-ken.”
  • tager: the g in tage(r) is like a soft “y”: roughly “TAH-yer” (dialects vary).
  • perron: stress on the second syllable; final sound like “-rong”: “peh-RONG.”
Can I swap the order of the two questions?
Yes: Hvilken perron er det, og hvilket tog tager vi? is fine. The meaning and grammar stay the same.
Any capitalization rules to note?
Only the first word of the sentence and proper names are capitalized. So Hvilket is capitalized, but tog, hvilken, perron, det are not.