Relative Clauses
Relative clauses provide additional information about a noun. They are introduced by relative pronouns that refer back to the noun.
In German, relative pronouns agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they refer to.
This lesson covers how to form and use relative clauses correctly in German.
Explanation
Relative pronouns: der (masculine), die (feminine/plural), das (neuter), welcher/welche/welches (which).
The relative pronoun takes the case required by its function in the relative clause, not the case of the noun it refers to.
Example: 'Das Buch, das ich lese' (The book that I read) - 'das' is accusative because it's the object of 'lese'.
The verb in the relative clause goes to the end: 'Der Mann, den ich kenne' (The man that I know).
Relative Pronouns - Nominative
| Gender | Relative Pronoun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der | Der Mann, der kommt | The man who comes |
| Feminine | die | Die Frau, die kommt | The woman who comes |
| Neuter | das | Das Kind, das kommt | The child who comes |
| Plural | die | Die Leute, die kommen | The people who come |
Relative Pronouns - Accusative
When the relative pronoun is the object of the verb, it takes accusative case.
| Gender | Relative Pronoun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den | Der Mann, den ich kenne | The man that I know |
| Feminine | die | Die Frau, die ich kenne | The woman that I know |
| Neuter | das | Das Kind, das ich kenne | The child that I know |
| Plural | die | Die Leute, die ich kenne | The people that I know |
Relative Pronouns - Dative
When the relative pronoun is the indirect object or used with dative prepositions, it takes dative case.
| Gender | Relative Pronoun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | dem | Der Mann, dem ich helfe | The man that I help |
| Feminine | der | Die Frau, der ich helfe | The woman that I help |
| Neuter | dem | Das Kind, dem ich helfe | The child that I help |
| Plural | denen | Die Leute, denen ich helfe | The people that I help |
Examples
Der Mann, der kommt, ist mein Freund.
The man who comes is my friend.
Das Buch, das ich lese, ist interessant.
The book that I read is interesting.
Die Frau, die ich kenne, wohnt hier.
The woman that I know lives here.
Der Mann, dem ich helfe, ist nett.
The man that I help is nice.
Das Haus, in dem ich wohne, ist alt.
The house in which I live is old.
Common Mistakes
Der Mann, die kommt
Der Mann, der kommt
Relative pronoun must match the gender of the noun. 'Mann' is masculine, so use 'der', not 'die'.
Das Buch, der ich lese
Das Buch, das ich lese
Relative pronoun must match the gender of the noun. 'Buch' is neuter, so use 'das', not 'der'.
Der Mann, den ich helfe
Der Mann, dem ich helfe
'Helfen' requires dative, so use 'dem' (dative), not 'den' (accusative).
Practice Exercises
Test your understanding with interactive exercises. Practice makes perfect!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which article to use?
German articles (der, die, das) depend on the gender of the noun. While there are some patterns, many nouns must be memorized. Practice and exposure to German will help you learn them naturally.
What's the difference between definite and indefinite articles?
Definite articles (der, die, das) mean 'the' and refer to specific things. Indefinite articles (ein, eine) mean 'a/an' and refer to non-specific things. Both must match the noun's gender: use 'ein' for masculine/neuter and 'eine' for feminine.
Are there rules for determining noun gender?
While there are some helpful patterns (e.g., words ending in -ung are usually feminine), there are many exceptions. The best approach is to learn nouns with their articles from the beginning.
What happens if I use the wrong article?
While using the wrong article is a common mistake, native speakers will usually still understand you. However, using the correct article is important for sounding natural and fluent in German.