Relativpronomen und Relativsätze

Relativpronomen (Relative pronouns) are used to replace a noun mentioned earlier and help connect the main clause with a relative clause (Relativsatz).
Relative clauses provide additional information about a noun without starting a new sentence.

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1. What is a relative pronoun?

• A relative pronoun (Relativpronomen) is a type of pronoun, so it always stands independently without a noun.
• Unlike definite articles (der, die, das), relative pronouns can stand alone and still convey full meaning.

Example:

• Das ist der Mann, der mir geholfen hat.
  (That is the man who helped me.)

• Ich kenne die Frau, die neben dir wohnt.
  (I know the woman who lives next to you.)

📌 Note:

• The relative pronoun always stands at the beginning of the relative clause.
• The verb in the relative clause always stands at the end of the clause.
• The relative pronoun changes according to gender (Maskulin, Feminin, Neutrum), number (Singular, Plural) and case (Kasus).

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2. How to choose the correct relative pronoun

📌 To choose the correct relative pronoun, consider three factors:

1. The gender (Maskulin, Feminin, Neutrum) of the noun being replaced.
2. The number (Singular or Plural) of that noun.
3. The case (Kasus) of the noun in the relative clause.

Table of relative pronouns by gender, number, and case:

Kasus	Maskulin	Feminin	Neutrum	Plural
Nominativ (Subject)	der	die	das	die
Akkusativ (Direct object)	den	die	das	die
Dativ (Indirect object)	dem	der	dem	denen
Genitiv (Possessive)	dessen	deren	dessen	deren

Examples for each case:

Nominativ (Subject in the relative clause):

• Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Vater.
  (The man who is standing there is my father.)

Akkusativ (Direct object in the relative clause):

• Das Buch, das ich gestern gelesen habe, war sehr spannend.
  (The book that I read yesterday was very exciting.)

Dativ (Indirect object in the relative clause):

• Die Frau, der ich geholfen habe, ist meine Nachbarin.
  (The woman whom I helped is my neighbor.)

Genitiv (Possessive in the relative clause):

• Der Mann, dessen Auto vor dem Haus steht, ist mein Onkel.
  (The man whose car is parked in front of the house is my uncle.)

📌 Note:

• If the noun replaced is the subject in the relative clause → use Nominative.
• If the noun is the direct object → use Akkusativ.
• If the noun is the indirect object (with prepositions like "mit", "von", "bei") → use Dativ.
• If the noun expresses possession → use Genitiv ("dessen" or "deren").

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🎯 3. Summary of key points

not

• A relative pronoun (Relativpronomen) always starts the relative clause and replaces a previously mentioned noun.
• Unlike definite articles, the relative pronoun does not accompany a noun.
• The verb in the relative clause always stands at the end of the clause.

To choose the correct relative pronoun, determine:

• The gender of the noun replaced (Maskulin, Feminin, Neutrum).
• The number of the noun (Singular or Plural).
• The case of the noun in the relative clause (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv).
  In formal writing, Genitive (dessen, deren) is used for possession instead of "von + Dativ".
  Some relative clauses can start with a preposition (e.g.: mit, auf, für), in which case the preposition precedes the relative pronoun.