Relative Clauses Nominative Accusative
Relativsätze Nominativ Akkusativ
Use der die das as relative pronouns
Rules & Explanations
Relative Clauses (Nominative & Accusative)
Relativsätze (Nominativ & Akkusativ)
Want to sound more sophisticated in German? Learn relative clauses! Instead of saying 'I see a man. The man is tall,' you can say 'I see a man WHO IS tall' — 'Ich sehe einen Mann, DER groß ist.' Relative clauses connect ideas and make your German flow naturally.
German relative pronouns look almost like definite articles (der, die, das) but with some differences in genitive and dative. The relative pronoun matches the GENDER of the noun it refers to, but its CASE depends on its role in the relative clause.
English uses 'who,' 'which,' 'that' for all cases: 'The man WHO is tall' / 'The man WHOM I see.' German relative pronouns change based on (1) the GENDER of the noun they refer to, and (2) their FUNCTION (subject or object) in the relative clause.
Der Mann, DER dort steht, ist mein Bruder.
The man WHO is standing there is my brother.
DER refers to 'der Mann' (masculine) and is the SUBJECT of the relative clause (who is standing) → nominative.
Relative clauses are essential for natural, flowing German. Without them, you sound choppy and childish. With them, you can express complex ideas elegantly.
How Relative Clauses Work
Wie Relativsätze funktionieren
Nominative Relative Pronouns (Subject)
Relativpronomen im Nominativ (Subjekt)
Accusative Relative Pronouns (Object)
Relativpronomen im Akkusativ (Objekt)
Common Mistakes with Relative Clauses
Häufige Fehler bei Relativsätzen
Relative Pronouns: Nominative & Accusative
Relativpronomen: Nominativ & Akkusativ
| Gender | Nominative (Subject) | Accusative (Object) | Example Noun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | DER | DEN | der Mann |
| Feminine | DIE | DIE | die Frau |
| Neuter | DAS | DAS | das Kind |
| Plural | DIE | DIE | die Leute |
Nominative vs Accusative: How to Choose
Nominativ vs Akkusativ: Wie wählt man?
| Question | Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| Role in relative clause? | Subject (does action) | Object (receives action) |
| Another subject present? | NO — pronoun IS subject | YES — someone else is subject |
| Test question | WHO/WHAT does...? | WHO/WHAT does someone see/have/etc.? |
| Masc. example | Der Mann, DER singt... | Der Mann, DEN ich sehe... |
| Fem. example | Die Frau, DIE singt... | Die Frau, DIE ich sehe... |
| Neut. example | Das Kind, DAS singt... | Das Kind, DAS ich sehe... |
At a Party
Auf einer Party
Relative Clauses Summary
Zusammenfassung: Relativsätze
Examples
Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Bruder.
The man who is standing there is my brother.
der dort stehtNOMINATIVE: 'der' refers to 'der Mann' (masc.) and is the SUBJECT of 'steht' (who is standing).
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| der | who (masc. nom.) |
| dort | there |
| steht | is standing (verb at END) |
Die Frau, die Deutsch spricht, kommt aus Berlin.
The woman who speaks German comes from Berlin.
die Deutsch sprichtNOMINATIVE: 'die' refers to 'die Frau' (fem.) and is the SUBJECT of 'spricht'.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| die | who (fem. nom.) |
| Deutsch | German |
| spricht | speaks (verb at END) |
Das Kind, das im Garten spielt, ist meine Tochter.
The child who is playing in the garden is my daughter.
das im Garten spieltNOMINATIVE: 'das' refers to 'das Kind' (neut.) and is the SUBJECT of 'spielt'.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| das | who/that (neut. nom.) |
| spielt | plays (verb at END) |
| im Garten | in the garden |
Die Studenten, die fleißig lernen, bestehen die Prüfung.
The students who study hard pass the exam.
die fleißig lernenNOMINATIVE: 'die' refers to 'die Studenten' (plural) and is the SUBJECT of 'lernen'.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| die | who (pl. nom.) |
| lernen | study (verb at END) |
| fleißig | diligently |
Der Mann, den ich gestern gesehen habe, ist Arzt.
The man whom I saw yesterday is a doctor.
den ich gestern gesehen habeACCUSATIVE: 'den' refers to 'der Mann' (masc.) but is the OBJECT of 'gesehen habe' (ich = subject).
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| den | whom (masc. ACC) |
| ich | I (subject) |
| gesehen habe | have seen (verb at END) |
Die Lehrerin, die wir sehr mögen, ist krank.
The teacher whom we like very much is sick.
die wir sehr mögenACCUSATIVE: 'die' refers to 'die Lehrerin' (fem.) and is the OBJECT of 'mögen' (wir = subject). Same form as nominative!
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| die | whom (fem. acc = same as nom) |
| wir | we (subject) |
| mögen | like (verb at END) |
Das Buch, das ich gerade lese, ist spannend.
The book that I am currently reading is exciting.
das ich gerade leseACCUSATIVE: 'das' refers to 'das Buch' (neut.) and is the OBJECT of 'lese' (ich = subject). Same form as nominative!
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| das | that (neut. acc = same as nom) |
| ich | I (subject) |
| lese | am reading (verb at END) |
Die Filme, die er empfohlen hat, sind alle gut.
The films that he recommended are all good.
die er empfohlen hatACCUSATIVE: 'die' refers to 'die Filme' (plural) and is the OBJECT of 'empfohlen hat' (er = subject).
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| er | he (subject) |
| die | that (pl. acc = same as nom) |
| empfohlen hat | has recommended |
Der Hund, der bellt, gehört dem Mann, den ich kenne.
The dog that barks belongs to the man whom I know.
der bellt / den ich kenneTwo relative clauses! 'der bellt' = nominative (dog is subject). 'den ich kenne' = accusative (man is object, ich is subject).
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| den | whom (acc - object) |
| der | that (nom - subject) |
Die Frau, die dort wohnt, arbeitet bei Siemens.
The woman who lives there works at Siemens.
die dort wohntRelative clause interrupts the main clause. Main verb 'arbeitet' comes after the relative clause ends.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| arbeitet | works (main verb) |
| die dort wohnt | who lives there (inserted) |
Der Film, den ich sehen möchte, läuft im Kino.
The film that I want to see is playing at the cinema.
den ich sehen möchteACCUSATIVE with modal: 'den' is object of 'sehen möchte'. Order: infinitive + modal at end.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| den | that (acc) |
| sehen möchte | want to see (infinitive + modal) |
Das Auto, das er gekauft hat, ist sehr teuer.
The car that he bought is very expensive.
das er gekauft hatACCUSATIVE with perfect: 'das' is object of 'gekauft hat'. Order: participle + haben at end.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| das | that (acc) |
| gekauft hat | has bought (participle + haben) |
Der Zug, der um 10 Uhr abfährt, ist immer voll.
The train that departs at 10 o'clock is always full.
der um 10 Uhr abfährtNOMINATIVE: 'der' refers to 'der Zug' (masc.) and is the SUBJECT of 'abfährt'.
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| der | that (nom) |
| abfährt | departs (separable verb reunited at END) |
Das Problem, das ich habe, ist, dass ich keine Zeit habe.
The problem that I have is that I have no time.
das ich habe / dass ich keine Zeit habeDAS (one s) = relative pronoun referring to 'das Problem'. DASS (two s) = conjunction 'that'. Different functions!
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| das | that (relative pronoun) |
| dass | that (conjunction) |
Die Stadt, die ich besucht habe und die mir gefallen hat, heißt München.
The city that I visited and that I liked is called Munich.
die ich besucht habe / die mir gefallen hatTwo relative clauses joined by 'und'. First 'die' = accusative (object of besucht). Second 'die' = nominative (subject of gefallen).
| Wort | Bedeutung |
|---|---|
| die ich besucht habe | that I visited (acc) |
| die mir gefallen hat | that pleased me (nom) |
Practice Exercises
15 interactive exercises
The man who is standing there is my father.
Grammatik lernen ist nur der Anfang
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