237. Relative (Adjectival) Clauses ... who, whom, which and that
Relative Clauses or Adjectival Clauses are basically Subordinate Clauses beginning with who, whom, which or that. As such, the word order in these clauses is the same as for a Subordinate Clause with the verb placed at the end.
A relative clause adds meaning to a preceding noun and in a sense is like an expanded adjective. Below is a table of the cases with the relative pronouns ('who', 'whom', 'which', 'that') we use to start the clause:
Masc Fem Neut Plural
Nominative der die das die
Accusative den die das die
Genitive dessen deren dessen deren
Dative dem der dem denen
As with all nouns and pronouns, the relative pronoun starting the clause can have any one of the four cases depending on its role. It can be the subject, object, indirect object and even the possessive depending on its meaning. Importantly, the relative pronoun refers to the noun or pronoun preceding it. Let's look at some samples:
Der Mann, der mit mir Tennis spielt, ist mein Cousin (Subject = Masculine Nominative).
Die junge Dame, die ins Ausland reist, ist meine Nichte. (Fem. Acc. ... 'ich' is Subject)
Das Mädchen, dessen Vater Lehrer ist, ist sehr klug. (Neut. Genitive)
Die Kinder, mit denen meine Enkelkinder spielen, sind nett.
Each clause must be analysed for the Gender to which the pronoun refers, the Number (Singular or Plural) and the Case it requires within its own clause. Looking at Sentence 3 above, the 'dessen' refers to the girl who 'owns' the father and das Mädchen is a Neuter Noun, Singular and here requiring Genitive Case showing ownership.
In more complicates sentences, the verb may be in the Past Tense or the Future Tense and parts of haben, sein or werden will come at the very end after the Past Participle or Infinitive.... The same applies to Modal Verbs.
Der Mann, der mit mir Tennis gespielt hat, ist mein Cousin
Die junge Dame, die letztes Jahr ins Ausland gereist ist, ist meine Nichte.
Das Mädchen, dessen Vater bald ankommen wird, ist sehr klug.
Die Kinder, mit denen meine Enkelkinder spielen wollten, sind sehr nett.
Dative dem der dem denen
As with all nouns and pronouns, the relative pronoun starting the clause can have any one of the four cases depending on its role. It can be the subject, object, indirect object and even the possessive depending on its meaning. Importantly, the relative pronoun refers to the noun or pronoun preceding it. Let's look at some samples:
Der Mann, der mit mir Tennis spielt, ist mein Cousin (Subject = Masculine Nominative).
Die junge Dame, die ins Ausland reist, ist meine Nichte. (Fem. Acc. ... 'ich' is Subject)
Das Mädchen, dessen Vater Lehrer ist, ist sehr klug. (Neut. Genitive)
Die Kinder, mit denen meine Enkelkinder spielen, sind nett.
Each clause must be analysed for the Gender to which the pronoun refers, the Number (Singular or Plural) and the Case it requires within its own clause. Looking at Sentence 3 above, the 'dessen' refers to the girl who 'owns' the father and das Mädchen is a Neuter Noun, Singular and here requiring Genitive Case showing ownership.
In more complicates sentences, the verb may be in the Past Tense or the Future Tense and parts of haben, sein or werden will come at the very end after the Past Participle or Infinitive.... The same applies to Modal Verbs.
Der Mann, der mit mir Tennis gespielt hat, ist mein Cousin
Die junge Dame, die letztes Jahr ins Ausland gereist ist, ist meine Nichte.
Das Mädchen, dessen Vater bald ankommen wird, ist sehr klug.
Die Kinder, mit denen meine Enkelkinder spielen wollten, sind sehr nett.
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