Relative clauses
A relative clause adds extra information about a noun: 'the man WHO is standing there', 'the book THAT I'm reading'. In German the linking words are der, die, das (yes, the same words as 'the') β plus their plural and case forms. Two simple rules decide which one: GENDER and number come from the noun being described (the antecedent); CASE comes from the role inside the relative clause itself. Like every subordinate clause, the verb goes at the END.
Gender from outside, case from inside
Look at Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Vater. = The man who is standing there is my father. The relative pronoun der is masculine because der Mann is masculine. It's nominative because inside the relative clause it's the SUBJECT of steht. Now compare: Der Mann, den ich kenne, ist mein Vater. = The man whom I know is my father. Same masculine antecedent β but this time the relative pronoun is den (accusative) because inside the relative clause ich is the subject and the man is the DIRECT OBJECT of kenne. Two questions every time: (1) what gender/number is the noun? (2) what role does the pronoun play inside the relative clause?
The relative pronoun table
Memorize this once. Nominative: der (m.), die (f.), das (n.), die (pl.). Accusative: den (m.), die (f.), das (n.), die (pl.). Dative: dem (m.), der (f.), dem (n.), denen (pl.). Genitive: dessen (m./n.), deren (f./pl.) β rare in speech, ignore for now. The bold facts: only the masculine accusative changes (der β den); the feminine and neuter forms in nom and acc look identical. Plural dative is the surprise β denen, NOT den.
Verb at the end (always)
A relative clause is a subordinate clause, so the conjugated verb goes to the very end. The clause is set off by COMMAS on both sides if it sits in the middle of the sentence. Das ist das Buch, das ich gestern gelesen habe. = That's the book that I read yesterday. Read it: subject ich β adverb gestern β past participle gelesen β helper habe at the end. Same rule with modals: Der Mann, der hier arbeiten will, kommt aus Berlin. = The man who wants to work here comes from Berlin.
Nominative β subject of the relative clause
The pronoun is the SUBJECT inside the relative clause. Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Vater. (m.) Die Frau, die Deutsch spricht, ist Anna. (f.) Das Kind, das im Garten spielt, ist klein. (n.) Die Kinder, die im Garten spielen, sind klein. (pl.) Notice: same forms as the definite article, except the plural die does double duty for both nom and acc.
Accusative β direct object of the relative clause
The pronoun is the DIRECT OBJECT inside the relative clause. Der Mann, den ich kenne, wohnt in Berlin. (m. β note den!) Die Frau, die ich sehe, ist meine Lehrerin. (f. β same as nom) Das Buch, das ich lese, ist gut. (n. β same as nom) Die BΓΌcher, die ich lese, sind interessant. (pl. β same as nom). The masculine accusative den is the only spot that catches people out.
Dative β usually with a preposition
The pronoun is the indirect object, or it follows a dative preposition like mit or bei. Der Mann, mit dem ich spreche, ist mein Lehrer. = The man with whom I'm speaking is my teacher. Die Frau, mit der ich arbeite, kommt aus Wien. Das Kind, mit dem ich spiele, ist meine Nichte. Die Freunde, mit denen ich Urlaub mache, sind aus Berlin. Notice the plural denen. Don't drill the dative table heavily yet β just recognize the forms when they appear.
welche / welcher / welches β same job, slightly formal
There's an alternative set of relative pronouns: welcher, welche, welches (and plural welche). Same gender/case logic as the der-set. Der Mann, welcher dort steht, β¦ has exactly the same meaning as Der Mann, der dort steht, β¦. The welch- forms sound stiffer and more written; in everyday speech German prefers der/die/das. Use welcher when the der-form would clash awkwardly with a nearby article, or to add a formal tone in writing.
