Das ist der Mann, der im Park joggt.
English: That is the man who jogs in the park.
- 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
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.