Relative Pronouns For Intermediate learners
What is a Relative Pronoun?
A relative pronoun functions as a connector and links a noun or a noun phrase to a relative clause. The most common relative pronouns in English are: who, which, that, and whose. In the sentence "I know the man who lives next door.", "who" is the relative pronoun. In German, a relative pronoun has a specific gender, case, and number.
The German Relative Pronouns
German relative pronouns have gender, number, and case. They are divided into two main categories:
Standard Relative Pronouns
Formal Relative Pronouns
Standard Relative Pronouns
Standard relative pronouns are the most common forms in spoken and written German and directly match the definite article in gender, number, and case.
Nom | Acc | Dat | |
|---|---|---|---|
Masculine | der | den | dem |
Neuter | das | das | dem |
Feminine | die | die | der |
Plural | die | die | denen |
Der Mann, der dort arbeitet, ist mein Onkel.
The man who works there is my uncle.
Nominative
Der Film, den wir sahen, war langweilig.
The film that we saw was boring.
Accusative
Der Student, dem ich geholfen habe, war dankbar.
The student whom I helped was thankful.
Dative
Relative Clause and Comma
A relative clause always follows a comma in German.
Das ist der Mann, der gestern hier war.
That is the man who was here yesterday.
Formal Relative Pronouns
The table below shows the formal type of relative pronouns:
Nom | Acc | Dat | |
|---|---|---|---|
Masculine | welcher | welchen | welchem |
Neuter | welches | welches | welchem |
Feminine | welche | welche | welcher |
Plural | welche | welche | welchen |
Der Mann, welcher dort steht, ist mein Lehrer.
The man who is standing there is my teacher.
Nominative
Ich kaufe das Auto, welches du mir empfohlen hast.
I'm buying the car which you recommended to me.
Accusative
Die Gäste, welchen wir das Haus gezeigt haben, waren beeindruckt.
The guests to whom we showed the house were impressed.
Dative
Comparison: Standard vs. Formal Relative Pronouns
Standard Relative Pronouns
Standard relative pronouns are more common and natural. They are used in everyday language in both speech and writing.
Das ist der Film, der mir gefällt.
That is the film that I like.
Formal Relative Pronouns
Formal Relative Pronouns are not common, and they might sound unnatural or too formal in spoken German. Sometimes they are used in order to avoid repeating the other type of relative pronouns.
Die Politik der Regierung, der wir vertrauen müssen, ist komplex.
The policy of the government, which we must trust, is complex.
Here, "der" is used more than once. This is grammatically accurate but the second "der" can easily be replaced by "welcher" to avoid awkwardness and repetition.
Die Politik der Regierung, welcher wir vertrauen müssen, ist komplex.
The policy of the government, which we must trust, is complex.
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