Relativsätze (mit Relativpronomen) grammar in German

Language: German
Level: B1
Unit: Satzstruktur und Wortstellung
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

A relative clause (Relativsatz) in German is a part of a sentence that gives more information about a noun. It uses a special pronoun (Relativpronomen) like 'der', 'die', 'das', etc.

When to use it

Use German relative clauses to add extra information about a person, thing, or idea mentioned in the main sentence, often to describe or specify which one you mean.

Key forms

der Mann, der ...
die Frau, die ...
das Buch, das ...
die Kinder, die ...
den Mann, den ... (Akkusativ)
dem Mann, dem ... (Dativ)

Examples

Das ist der Mann, der im Park joggt.

English: That is the man who jogs in the park.

Ich habe ein Buch, das sehr spannend ist.

English: I have a book that is very exciting.

Kennst du die Frau, die dort steht?

English: Do you know the woman who is standing there?

Das ist das Auto, das ich kaufen möchte.

English: That is the car that I want to buy.

Hier sind die Kinder, denen ich helfe.

English: Here are the children whom I help.

Tips

The relative pronoun must match the gender, number, and case of the noun it refers to.
The verb in the relative clause always goes to the end of the clause.
Watch out: 'der', 'die', 'das' can mean 'the' or be a relative pronoun. Look for the comma!

Exceptions and edge cases

Sometimes 'was' is used as a relative pronoun for 'alles', 'nichts', or after superlatives.
Prepositions can come before the relative pronoun in the clause.