(relative pronouns and relative clauses in german)
TRANSCRIPT
(Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses in German)
,,Der General … sagte: ,Morgen dürft ihr die Stadt verlassen, und
die Dinge,
die ihr auf eurem Rücken tragen könnt,
dürft ihr auch aus der Stadt bringen.’”
(Aus: ,,Die Weiber von Weinsberg”)
English equivalent:
… the things that/which you can carry on your back ….
,,Die Frauen … dachten nur an
ihre Männer,
die am nächsten Tag sterben mussten.”
(Aus: ,,Die Weiber von Weinsberg”)
English equivalent:
… their men folk who were to die the next day.
Was wollte der General machen,
dessen Armee Weinsberg erobert hatte ?
(Aus: ,,Die Weiber von Weinsberg”)
English equivalent:
… the general … whose army had conquered Weinsberg
The relative pronoun is called that (= relative) because it stands for and
refers/relates to a specific preceding noun in another clause.That noun is called ANTECEDANT.
,,Der General … sagte: ,Morgen dürft ihr die Stadt verlassen, und
die Dinge, die
ihr auf eurem Rücken tragen könnt,
dürft ihr auch aus der Stadt bringen.’”
,,Die Frauen … dachten nur an ihre Männer,
die am nächsten Tag sterben mussten.”
The relative pronoun is called that (= relative) because it stands for and
refers/relates to a specific preceding noun in another clause.That noun is called ANTECEDANT.
Was wollte der General machen, dessen
Armee Weinsberg erobert hatte?
The relative pronoun is called that (= relative) because it stands for and
refers/relates to a specific preceding noun in another clause.That noun is called ANTECEDANT.
maskulin Sg.
Nominativ
Akkusativ
Dativ
Genitiv
neutrum Sg. feminin Sg.
Plural (m+n+f)
The German relative pronoun forms are basically the same as the definite articles.However, in the dative plural, –en is added.Similarly, all genitive forms attach/add –en. In addition, in the genitive masculine and neuter, the -s- is doubled.
Unlike in English, the relative pronoun is NEVER OMITTED in German:
Once upon a time, there was a young woman whom everybody called Cinderella.
Once upon a time, there was a young woman _____everybody called Cinderella.
Once upon a time, there was a young woman _____called Cinderella.
Once upon a time, there was a young woman whowas called Cinderella.
Unlike in English, the relative pronoun is NEVER OMITTED in German:
The young man who rescued the princesswas a prince.
The young man ____rescuing the princesswas a prince.
Unlike in English, German relative clauses are ALWAYS SET OFF BY COMMAS(regardless whether they are defining or non-defining):
The young man who rescued the princesswas a prince.
The frog king, who really was a human being under an evil spell,married the princess in the end.
Like most* subordinated/dependant clauses in German, German relative clauses have the CONJUGATED VERB at the VERY END:The young man who
rescued the princesswas a prince.
Once upon a time, there was a young woman whom everybody called Cinderella.
*The only exception to this rule are subordinate clauses with double infinitive structures.Unlike any other non-conjugated verb part which always is at the end, double infinitives go even behind the subordinate conjugated verb (which stays at the very end) to the very, very end of the subordinated clause.
Unlike in English, if there is a PREPOSITION connected to the relative pronoun,
it ALWAYS PRECEDES (= goes before) the relative pronoun:
The animal (that) Little Red Riding Hoodtalked with was a big bad wolf.
The castle (that) the prince went intowas under a bad spell.
The castle into which the prince wentwas under a bad spell.
maskulin Sg.
Nominativ
Akkusativ
Dativ
Genitiv
neutrum Sg.
feminin Sg.
Plural (m+n+f)
der
den
dem
dessen
die
die
der
deren
die
die
denenderen
das
das
dem
dessen