Hvilken

Hvilken is an interrogative determiner and pronoun in Norwegian, used to ask about the identity or choice of a single item from a defined set. It translates to "which" in English and is commonly used in questions and in dependent clauses that specify one option among many.

Inflection and forms: the form agrees with gender and number. Singular common (en-words) uses hvilken; singular neuter (et-words) uses hvilket; plural forms use hvilke for all genders. Examples: “Hvilken bok vil du lese?” (which book), “Hvilket hus bor du i?” (which house), “Hvilke filmer liker du?” (which films). In phrases such as “hvilken av…” you can express “which of…” as in “Hvilken av bøkene har du lest?” (which of the books have you read?).

Usage: which is used when a specific choice from a known set is being identified or discussed. It contrasts with hva/ hva slags for broader questions about definition or type. It often appears with adjectives or possessives, and can form expressions like “hvilken som helst” meaning “any” or “whichever.” The word can also introduce clauses, as in indirect questions: “Jeg spør hvilken bok jeg skal lese.”

Etymology and cognates: hvilken is part of the North Germanic family and has cognates in Danish and Swedish (hvilken in Danish; vilken in Swedish) and is related to the English word which, all tracing back to Proto-Germanic roots.

See also: Norwegian grammar, interrogatives, pronouns and determiners in Norwegian, Danish and Swedish cognates.