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German Relative Clauses: Choosing the Right Pronoun

A relative clause adds information about a noun: the man who lives next door. In German the linking word is never optional, the verb goes to the end, and choosing the pronoun means taking two pieces of information from two different places.

Gender from one clause, case from the other

This is the whole difficulty, and it is worth stating precisely. The relative pronoun takes its gender and number from the noun it refers back to, and its case from the job it does inside the relative clause.

Der Mann, der dort wohnt… — masculine from Mann, nominative because it is the subject of wohnt. Der Mann, den ich kenne… — still masculine, but accusative now, because it is the object of kenne.

Learners usually get the gender right and the case wrong, because the case depends on a clause they have not finished thinking about yet.

The forms, and the two that are not obvious

Most relative pronouns are identical to the definite article: der, die, das, den, dem. Two are not.

The dative plural is denen, not den: die Leute, mit denen ich arbeite. And the genitive is dessen (masculine and neuter) or deren (feminine and plural), meaning whose: der Mann, dessen Auto…

Two further points: the comma before the relative clause is compulsory in German, and the pronoun can never be dropped. English allows the man I know; German requires der Mann, den ich kenne.

Examples

• Das ist der Mann, der nebenan wohnt.That is the man who lives next door.
• Hier ist das Buch, das ich gekauft habe.Here is the book that I bought.

Mistakes to avoid

The errors are taking the case from the main clause instead of the relative clause, and omitting the pronoun or the comma because English allows it.

• ✗ Das ist der Mann, wer gestern hier war.✓ Das ist der Mann, der gestern hier war.
• ✗ Ich kenne den Mann, das dort steht.✓ Ich kenne den Mann, der dort steht.
• ✗ Das ist das Buch, das ich habe gestern gekauft.✓ Das ist das Buch, das ich gestern gekauft habe.
• ✗ Die Freunde, mit den ich reise, sind nett.✓ Die Freunde, mit denen ich reise, sind nett.
• ✗ Das ist die Stadt wo ich geboren bin.✓ Das ist die Stadt, in der ich geboren bin. (oder: ..., wo ich geboren bin.)

How this is tested in the exam

Relative clauses are a range marker. In Schreiben at A2 and B1 they let you define and describe without starting a new sentence, and examiners notice their absence. In Lesen they are everywhere in longer texts, and following who or what a pronoun refers back to is often exactly what a comprehension question is testing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I choose the right German relative pronoun?

Take the gender and number from the noun it refers back to, and the case from the role it plays inside the relative clause. Those are two separate decisions.

What is the dative plural relative pronoun?

Denen, not den: die Leute, mit denen ich arbeite. This is one of the two forms that differ from the definite article.

How do you say whose in German?

Dessen for masculine and neuter nouns, deren for feminine and plural ones: der Mann, dessen Auto kaputt ist.

Can I leave out the relative pronoun as in English?

No. English allows the man I know, but German always requires the pronoun and the comma: der Mann, den ich kenne.