Relative clauses add precision and elegance by attaching extra, descriptive information to a noun, using pronouns like 'der', 'die', and 'das' to mean 'who', 'that', or 'which'.
1Story in Action
Wohnungsbesichtigung
Makler: Guten Tag! Hier ist also die renovierte Wohnung, die im Stadtzentrum und direkt am Hauptbahnhof liegt. Kommen Sie herein!
Good day! So, this is the renovated apartment that is located in the city center and right by the main station. Come on in!
Relative Clause (Nominativ)
The clause gives more information about 'die Wohnung'. The pronoun 'die' is Nominativ because the apartment is the subject of the relative clause (Who or what is located in the city center? -> The apartment).
The verb ('liegt') moves to the end of the clause.
Interessent: Vielen Dank. Wow, sie ist sehr hell und geräumig. Und der Balkon ist ja riesig!
Thank you. Wow, it's very bright and spacious. And the balcony is huge!
Makler: Absolut. Es ist ein Balkon, von dem man einen wunderschönen Ausblick auf den Park hat. Auch die Nachbarschaft, in der Sie bald wohnen könnten, ist sehr ruhig.
Absolutely. It is a balcony from which one has a wonderful view of the park. Also, the neighborhood in which you could soon live is very quiet.
Relative Clause (Dativ with Preposition)
Describes 'der Balkon'. The relative pronoun is dem because the preposition 'von' (from) always requires the Dativ case.
Preposition ('von') + Dativ Pronoun ('dem').
Relative Clause (Dativ with Two-Way Preposition)
Describes 'die Nachbarschaft'. The preposition 'in' requires Dativ here because it describes a location ('wohnen' - where you live).
Preposition ('in') + Dativ Pronoun ('der') when describing location/place.
Interessent: Wunderbar. Das sind genau die Aspekte, die ich gesucht habe. Die Küche sieht auch sehr neu aus. Wurde sie komplett renoviert?
Wonderful. Those are exactly the aspects that I have been looking for. The kitchen also looks very new. Was it completely renovated?
Relative Clause (Akkusativ)
Describes 'die Aspekte' (plural). The pronoun 'die' is Akkusativ because the aspects are the direct object of the verb 'suchen' (I looked for the aspects).
Plural Nominativ and Akkusativ relative pronouns are both 'die'.
Makler: In der Tat. Der Vormieter, dem die Wohnung früher gehörte, war Tischler und hat die Möbel selbst eingebaut. Der große Herd, dessen Preis sehr hoch war, ist im Mietpreis enthalten.
Indeed. The previous tenant, to whom the apartment used to belong, was a carpenter and installed the furniture himself. The large stove, whose price was very high, is included in the rental price.
Relative Clause (Dativ with Verb)
Describes 'der Vormieter'. The pronoun dem is Dativ because the verb gehören (to belong to) always requires a dative object. (The apartment belonged to the tenant).
Verbs like 'gehören', 'helfen', or 'danken' in the relative clause require a Dativ pronoun.
Relative Clause (Genitiv)
Describes 'der Herd'. The Genitiv pronoun dessen (whose) is used because it shows possession ('the price of the stove').
Genitiv pronouns: 'dessen' (masc/neut singular), 'deren' (fem/plural).
Interessent: Das erklärt die hohe Qualität. Das ist ein wichtiges Detail, das mir sehr gut gefällt. Und die Fenster, die man auf dem Foto gesehen hat, sind auch doppelt verglast, oder?
That explains the high quality. That is an important detail that I like very much. And the windows that one saw in the photo are also double-glazed, right?
Relative Clause (Nominativ)
Describes 'das Detail'. The pronoun das is Nominativ because it is the subject of the relative clause (What pleases me? -> The detail).
The neuter nominative pronoun is 'das'.
Relative Clause (Akkusativ)
Describes 'die Fenster' (plural). The pronoun die is Akkusativ because the windows are the direct object of the verb 'sehen' (one saw the windows).
The verb ('hat') moves to the end. Plural Akkusativ is 'die'.
Makler: Ganz genau. Alles in allem ist das eine Gelegenheit, die Sie sich nicht entgehen lassen sollten! Denken Sie an die vielen Vorteile, die diese Lage bietet.
Exactly. All in all, this is an opportunity that you should not let pass you by! Think of the many advantages that this location offers.
Relative Clause (Akkusativ)
Describes 'die Gelegenheit'. The pronoun die is Akkusativ because it is the direct object of the action in the clause (You should not let the opportunity pass you by).
For feminine nouns, the Nominativ and Akkusativ relative pronouns are both 'die'.
Relative Clause (Nominativ)
Describes 'die Vorteile' (plural). The pronoun die is Nominativ because the advantages are the subject of the clause (Who or what offers advantages? -> The location). Wait! The location is the subject of the relative clause. The advantages are the object of the verb 'bieten' but they are the noun being described, making the relative pronoun Akkusativ here (The location offers the advantages). The plural relative pronoun is 'die'.
The location is the subject; the advantages are the object. Plural Akkusativ is 'die'.
2Why This Matters
Relative clauses let you glue extra information to any noun on the fly, creating silky-smooth, detail-rich sentences that impress in essays and conversations alike. They’re the difference between “I met a man” and “I met the man whose book you’re reading”—precision that feels effortlessly advanced.
3The Two-Step Rule
To find the correct relative pronoun, you always follow two simple steps.
4Nominativ Case
Use the Nominativ relative pronoun when it acts as the subject of the relative clause.
Function: The noun being described is the one performing the action inside the relative clause.
Question: Ask 'Wer?' (Who?) or 'Was?' (What?) inside the clause to confirm.
| Example | English | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist mein Freund, der aus der Schweiz kommt. | That is my friend who comes from Switzerland. | The relative clause describes the friend, specifying where he comes from.Step 1 (Noun): der Freund (masculine). Step 2 (Job): Wer kommt aus der Schweiz? → der Freund (Subject). Result: Nominativ Masculine → der. |
| Hier ist die E-Mail, die gerade angekommen ist. | Here is the email that just arrived. | The clause identifies which email we are talking about.Step 1 (Noun): die E-Mail (feminine). Step 2 (Job): Was ist angekommen? → die E-Mail (Subject). Result: Nominativ Feminine → die. |
5Akkusativ Case
Use the Akkusativ relative pronoun when it acts as the direct object of the relative clause.
Function: The noun being described is the one receiving the action inside the relative clause.
Question: Ask 'Wen?' (Whom?) or 'Was?' (What?) inside the clause to confirm.
| Example | English | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist der Tisch, den ich gestern gekauft habe. | That is the table that I bought yesterday. | The clause specifies which table by stating the action performed on it.Step 1 (Noun): der Tisch (masculine). Step 2 (Job): Was habe ich gekauft? → den Tisch (Direct Object). Result: Akkusativ Masculine → den. |
| Die Pizza, die wir bestellt haben, war sehr lecker. | The pizza that we ordered was very delicious. | The clause clarifies which pizza is being discussed.Step 1 (Noun): die Pizza (feminine). Step 2 (Job): Was haben wir bestellt? → die Pizza (Direct Object). Result: Akkusativ Feminine → die. |
6Dativ Case
Use the Dativ relative pronoun when it acts as the indirect object of the relative clause.
Function: The noun being described is the recipient or beneficiary of the action inside the relative clause.
Question: Ask 'Wem?' (To whom?) inside the clause to confirm.
| Example | English | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist die Kollegin, der ich immer helfe. | That is the colleague whom I always help. | The clause explains the relationship to the colleague.Step 1 (Noun): die Kollegin (feminine). Step 2 (Job): Wem helfe ich? → der Kollegin (Indirect Object, as 'helfen' takes Dativ). Result: Dativ Feminine → der. |
| Der Mann, dem das Auto gehört, ist im Urlaub. | The man to whom the car belongs is on vacation. | The clause clarifies who the owner of the car is.Step 1 (Noun): der Mann (masculine). Step 2 (Job): Wem gehört das Auto? → dem Mann (Indirect Object, as 'gehören' takes Dativ). Result: Dativ Masculine → dem. |
7With Prepositions
When a relative clause contains a preposition, the preposition comes before the pronoun and dictates its case.
Preposition First: The preposition always moves to the beginning of the clause, right before the relative pronoun.
Case Override: The preposition's rule (e.g., 'mit' + Dativ) determines the case, not the verb.
| Example | English | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist die Kollegin, mit der ich oft spreche. | That is the colleague with whom I often speak. | The clause specifies the colleague by describing the interaction.Step 1 (Noun): die Kollegin (feminine). Step 2 (Job): The preposition is 'mit'. 'mit' always takes Dativ. Result: Dativ Feminine → der. |
| Das ist ein Thema, über das wir sprechen müssen. | That is a topic about which we must speak. | The clause defines the topic.Step 1 (Noun): das Thema (neuter). Step 2 (Job): The preposition is 'über'. Here, 'sprechen über' takes Akkusativ. Result: Akkusativ Neuter → das. |
8Special Pronouns
In certain situations, the special relative pronouns 'was' and 'wo'/'wohin' are used instead of der/die/das.
Was: Use 'was' after indefinite pronouns like 'alles', 'nichts', 'etwas', or when referring to an entire preceding idea.
Wo: Use 'wo' as a simple shortcut for locations (instead of 'in dem/der').
Wohin: Use 'wohin' as a shortcut for movement to a location (instead of 'in das/die').
| Example | English | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Alles, was er sagt, ist interessant. | Everything that he says is interesting. | The pronoun 'was' is used because it refers back to 'Alles'.Reference: 'Alles' (indefinite pronoun) → Relative Pronoun: 'was'. |
| Das ist die Stadt, wo ich geboren bin. | That is the city where I was born. | The adverb 'wo' is used as a simple way to give more information about a location.Reference: 'die Stadt' (a location) → Relative Adverb: 'wo'. |
9Practice Exercises
Das ist die Frau, __ Deutsch lernt.
65 graded exercises on Relative Clauses, with the mistake explained every time you get one wrong.
10 more B1 grammar topics — see them all