Relative clauses

What you will practice

• Choose der, die, or das to match the noun.
• Change the pronoun when the relative clause needs the dative.
• Keep the conjugated verb at the end and use a comma.

Explanation

Agreement

The relative pronoun matches the gender and number of the noun it describes. Der Mann, der dort steht uses masculine der because Mann is masculine and the pronoun is the subject of steht. Die Frau, die ich sehe uses die. Das Kind, das dort spielt uses das. In these subject and direct-object examples, feminine and neuter look the same as the articles you already know.

Case inside the clause

The case comes from the job inside the relative clause, not from the job in the main clause. In Der Mann, dem ich helfe, Mann is the subject of the main clause, but helfen needs the dative, so the pronoun is dem. Masculine accusative is den: Ich kenne den Mann, den du meinst. Here the pronoun is the object of meinst.

Comma and verb

A comma separates the relative clause. The conjugated verb is the last part of that clause: der dort steht, not der steht dort. wer is for an open question or for “whoever.” It does not replace der when you are identifying a specific noun already in the sentence.

Examples

1. Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Lehrer.The man who is standing there is my teacher.
2. Die Frau, die ich sehe, ist Ärztin.The woman whom I see is a doctor.
3. Das Kind, das dort spielt, ist müde.The child who is playing there is tired.
4. Der Mann, dem ich helfe, ist mein Nachbar.The man whom I am helping is my neighbor.
5. Ich kenne den Mann, den du meinst.I know the man you mean.

Common mistakes

• The verb does not stay in second position inside the relative clause.
• Do not choose the pronoun only from the main clause. Check the verb in the relative clause too.