Relative Clauses: der, die, das as Connectors
B1Relative pronouns are just the definite article in a case costume. Master the comma, the verb-last rule, and start chaining the long, elegant sentences Germans love.
The rule that makes you relax
The relative pronoun is identical to the definite article — der, die, das — it simply bends into whatever case its job inside the clause requires. Its gender and number come from the noun it points back to; its case comes from its own clause. Two questions, one small word: 'who does it refer to?' and 'what is it doing in there?'
| Noun in main clause | Job in the relative clause | Pronoun |
|---|---|---|
| der Mann (m.) | subject | der |
| die Frau (f.) | direct object | die |
| das Kind (n.) | indirect object | dem |
| der Mann (m.) | direct object | den |
| die Leute (pl.) | object of 'mit' | mit denen |
Beispiele — examples in context
Das ist der Mann, der mir geholfen hat.
That's the man who helped me.
Die Frau, die dort wohnt, ist Ärztin.
The woman who lives there is a doctor.
Der Film, den wir gestern gesehen haben, war fantastisch.
The movie that we saw yesterday was fantastic.
The comma is not optional
In English you can slide a relative clause onto a sentence without any punctuation; in German the comma is the law. It fences in the clause, and it warns you that the verb has been sent to the very end. Read the comma as a drumbeat: extra information incoming, verb on hold.
Beispiele — examples in context
Mein Nachbar, der zwei Hunde hat, ist sehr freundlich.
My neighbor, who has two dogs, is very friendly.
Die Stadt, in der ich wohne, hat 80.000 Einwohner.
The city I live in has 80,000 inhabitants.
Verb last — and dessen/deren for possession
Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, so the conjugated verb — including its participle — moves to the very last position. For 'whose', German uses dessen (masculine/neuter owner) and deren (feminine owner or any plural); neither ever changes its form. And for indefinite things like 'alles, nichts, etwas', the pronoun becomes 'was'.
Beispiele — examples in context
Das Haus, das meine Großeltern gebaut haben, steht noch.
The house that my grandparents built is still standing.
Kennst du die Studentin, deren Bruder in Wien studiert?
Do you know the student whose brother studies in Vienna?
Der Autor, dessen Bücher ich liebe, kommt aus Leipzig.
The author whose books I love comes from Leipzig.