RELATIVPRONOMEN RELATIVSTZE

A relative clause (Relativsatz)

is a clause added on to a main clause (Hauptsatz);
He is the man who bought the house.
Er ist der Mann, der das Haus gekauft hat.

provides additional information about something mentioned in the main clause without
having to repeat the noun that it refers to;
is introduced by a relative pronoun (Relativpronomen)
He is the man who bought the house.
Er ist der Mann, der das Haus gekauft hat.

A relative pronoun (Relativpronomen)

links two clauses (a main clause and a relative clause) into a single complex clause
[He is the man (main clause)] [who bought the house (relative clause)].
refers back to a noun mentioned in the main clause
English relative pronouns: "who/whom", "that" or "which"
He's the man. He bought a house.
I have a car. I drive the car to work.

He's the man who bought a house.

I have a car that I drive to work.

German relative pronouns are for the most part the same as the definite articles der, die, das.
The only exception is the dative plural, which takes the form denen.
MASK
FEM
NEUT
PLUR

NOM AKK
der
den
die
die
das
das
die
die

DAT
dem
der
dem
denen

Note that, in contrast to English, German does not distinguish between relative pronouns for people
(who) and relative pronouns for things ("that" or "which").
FIGURING OUT WHICH RELATIVE PRONOUN TO USE:
You have to find out: a) the gender of the noun we are referring to (das Bezugswort/ antecedent); b) the
number of the antecedent (singular, plural) AND c) what case it needs (nominative, dative, accusative
[and genitive]).
gender of the relative pronoun: the same as the antecedent (das Bezugswort; the noun
that is referred to)
number of the relative pronoun: the same as the antecedent
case of the relative pronoun: found in the relative clause (not the main clause).
FOUR STEPS:
(1) Find the antecedent: what are we referring to?
(2) Determine the gender of the antecedent.
(3) Determine the number of the antecedent: How many?
(4) Figure out which function the relative pronoun has in the relative clause (subject, direct object,
indirect object, object of a preposition) and which case that will require.

Beispiele:
(1) Das ist der Mann. Der Mann hat ein Haus gekauft.
(S: NOM)
Das ist der Mann, der ein Haus gekauft hat. relative pronoun = subject of the subordinate clause
(2) Das ist der Freund.

Ich habe dem Freund das Buch gekauft.

(IO: DAT)
Das ist der Freund, dem ich das Buch gekauft habe. relative pronoun = IO of the SC

(3) Ist das der Mantel?

Willst du den Mantel kaufen?

(DO:AKK)
Ist das der Mantel, den du kaufen willst? relative pronoun = DO of the SC

RELATIVE PRONOUNS AFTER PREPOSITIONS:

Relative Pronouns can also replace a noun after a preposition. In this case they function as the object
of the preposition. Thus, the preposition determines the case of the relative pronoun.
Akkusativprpositionen: durch, fr, gegen, ohne, um
Das ist der Freund, fr den das Geschenk ist.
Dativprpositionen: aus, auer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu
Das ist das Buch, von dem ich dir erzhlt habe.
Wechselprpositionen: an, auf, hinter, in, neben, ber, unter, vor, zwischen
Das ist das Haus, in das ich einziehe. (destination)
Das ist das Haus, in dem ich wohne. (location)
WORD ORDER:
o The relative clause is always preceded by a comma.
o If the relative clause ends the sentence, then it ends with a period.
o If it gets stuck in the middle of the sentence (e.g. "The children who came here were my
friends") then it is set off with commas on both sides ("Die Kinder, die hierher
gekommen sind, waren meine Freunde.")
o The finite (conjugated) verb comes at the end of the relative clause.
o Separable prefix verbs are reunited and written as one word (e.g. "Ich habe einen
Freund, der um 8 Uhr aufsteht.")
o In English, we often leave out the relative pronoun that ("The film [that] I saw last
night was bad"). In German, you cannot omit the relative pronoun from a sentence.
o You cannot separate the relative pronoun from any preposition that goes with it. In
English, we say "The man who I'm talking to is over there". In German, that has to be
"Der Mann, mit dem ich spreche, ist dort."
o The relative clause wants to be as close to the noun it is describing as possible.
However, this isn't a strict rule.