German relative clauses for B1 learners with relative pronouns, cases, rules, and examples

German Relative Clauses: Rules & Examples for B1 Learners

Q: What are the nominative relative pronouns in German?

The nominative forms are der for masculine, die for feminine, das for neuter, and die for plural nouns.

Q: When do I use “den” in a relative clause?

Den is the masculine accusative relative pronoun. It is used when the masculine noun is the direct object within the relative clause, such as Der Mann, den ich gesehen habe.

Q: What are the dative relative pronouns in German?

The dative forms are dem for masculine and neuter, der for feminine, and denen for plural nouns.

Q: When are “dessen” and “deren” used?

Dessen and deren are genitive relative pronouns used to express possession. For example: Der Mann, dessen Auto kaputt ist means “The man whose car is broken.”

Q: Can “was” be used as a German relative pronoun?

Yes. Was is commonly used after words such as alles, etwas, nichts and vieles , as in Alles, was ich weiß, ist hier

As you progress to B1 German, you begin to move beyond short and simple sentences. You learn how to connect ideas, describe people and things in greater detail, and express yourself more naturally. One grammar structure that helps you do this is the relative clause.

Relative clauses are used to provide additional information about a person, place, object or idea. They allow you to combine two related sentences into one smoother sentence. For example:

Ich kenne eine Frau. Sie arbeitet in Berlin.
I know a woman. She works in Berlin.

These sentences can be combined as:

Ich kenne eine Frau, die in Berlin arbeitet.
I know a woman who works in Berlin.

Understanding German relative clause is an important part of developing stronger B1 writing and speaking skills. Once you understand how relative pronouns and cases work, these sentences become much easier to form.

What Is a Relative Clause in German?

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A relative clause is a dependent clause that gives more information about a noun in the main sentence. It is normally separated from the main clause by a comma.

In English, we often use “who”, “which”, “that” and “whose”. German uses relative pronouns such as der, die, das, den, dem, dessen and deren.

Consider this example:

Das ist der Mann, der nebenan wohnt.
That is the man who lives next door.

The noun der Mann is being described by the relative clause der nebenan wohnt.

One important rule is that the conjugated verb goes to the end of the relative clause:

Das ist die Frau, die in München arbeitet.

Here, arbeitet appears at the end.

How German Relative Pronouns Work

Choosing the correct relative pronoun depends on two things:

The gender and number of the noun being described.
The grammatical case required inside the relative clause.

This second point is particularly important. The case of the relative pronoun is determined by its function inside the relative clause, not simply by the noun’s case in the main sentence.

The basic nominative forms are:

Noun	Relative Pronoun
Masculine	der
Feminine	die
Neuter	das
Plural	die

For example:

Das ist der Schüler, der sehr fleißig ist.
That is the student who is very hardworking.

Das ist die Frau, die neben mir sitzt.
That is the woman who is sitting next to me.

Das ist das Kind, das im Garten spielt.
That is the child who is playing in the garden.

Das sind die Freunde, die aus Hamburg kommen.
Those are the friends who come from Hamburg.

In each sentence, the relative pronoun functions as the subject of the relative clause.

Nominative Relative Pronouns

Use the nominative when the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause.

The forms are:

Masculine: der
Feminine: die
Neuter: das
Plural: die

For example:

Ich habe einen Freund, der sehr gut Deutsch spricht.
I have a friend who speaks German very well.

Although Freund is in the accusative in the main clause because of einen Freund, the relative pronoun is der because it is the subject of spricht.

This is a useful example of why you should determine the case from the relative clause itself.

Accusative Relative Pronouns

The accusative is used when the relative pronoun is the direct object of the verb.

The forms are:

Masculine: den
Feminine: die
Neuter: das
Plural: die

For example:

Der Mann, den ich gestern getroffen habe, ist mein Nachbar.
The man whom I met yesterday is my neighbour.

Here, ich is the subject and den Mann is the object of getroffen habe, so the masculine relative pronoun is den.

Another example:

Das ist die Tasche, die ich gestern gekauft habe.
That is the bag that I bought yesterday.

The feminine accusative form remains die.

Dative Relative Pronouns

The dative is required with certain verbs and prepositions. The dative relative pronouns are:

Masculine: dem
Feminine: der
Neuter: dem
Plural: denen

For example:

Das ist der Mann, dem ich geholfen habe.
That is the man whom I helped.

The verb helfen always takes the dative, so der Mann becomes dem inside the relative clause.

Another example is:

Das ist die Frau, der ich geschrieben habe.
That is the woman whom I wrote to.

The verb schreiben takes a dative object when referring to the person receiving the message.

For plural nouns:

Das sind die Leute, denen ich geholfen habe.
Those are the people whom I helped.

The form denen is the plural dative relative pronoun.

Genitive Relative Pronouns

The genitive is used to show possession. Although B1 learners may encounter it less often in everyday speech, it is useful to recognise these forms, particularly when reading.

The main forms are:

Masculine: dessen
Neuter: dessen
Feminine: deren
Plural: deren

For example:

Das ist der Mann, dessen Auto gestohlen wurde.
That is the man whose car was stolen.

Ich kenne eine Frau, deren Sohn in Berlin studiert.
I know a woman whose son studies in Berlin.

The relative pronoun indicates who owns the person or thing mentioned in the relative clause.

Relative Pronouns After Prepositions

Relative pronouns can also be used after prepositions. In these constructions, the preposition comes directly before the relative pronoun.

For example:

Das ist die Stadt, in der ich geboren wurde.
That is the city in which I was born.

The preposition in is followed by the feminine dative relative pronoun der.

Another example:

Der Freund, mit dem ich reise, kommt aus Österreich.
The friend with whom I am travelling comes from Austria.

Because mit always requires the dative, der Freund becomes mit dem.

For plural:

Das sind die Kollegen, mit denen ich arbeite.
Those are the colleagues with whom I work.

Learning common preposition-and-case combinations can make these structures much easier to understand.

Relative Clauses with “Was”

German also uses was as a relative pronoun in certain situations. It is commonly used after indefinite words such as alles, etwas, nichts and vieles.

For example:

Alles, was ich gesagt habe, ist wahr.
Everything that I said is true.

Das ist etwas, was ich nicht verstehe.
That is something that I do not understand.

Nichts, was er gesagt hat, war neu.
Nothing that he said was new.

Was can also refer to an entire idea from the previous clause:

Er hat die Prüfung bestanden, was mich sehr gefreut hat.
He passed the exam, which made me very happy.

Relative Clauses with “Wo”

When referring to a place, you may hear wo used in relative clauses, particularly in informal spoken German.

For example:

Das ist das Café, wo wir uns getroffen haben.
That is the café where we met.

This construction is common in everyday speech. However, in more formal German, a preposition followed by a relative pronoun is often preferred:

Das ist das Café, in dem wir uns getroffen haben.

Both structures can be useful for B1 learners to recognise, but in dem is a more formal and standard choice in this context.

German Relative Clauses Examples for B1 Practice

The following relative clause examples demonstrate how the relative pronoun changes according to its role:

Ich habe einen Bruder, der in Hamburg lebt.
I have a brother who lives in Hamburg.

Das ist der Film, den wir gestern gesehen haben.
That is the film that we watched yesterday.

Sie ist die Frau, der ich geholfen habe.
She is the woman whom I helped.

Das ist das Haus, in dem meine Großeltern wohnen.
That is the house in which my grandparents live.

Ich kenne einen Studenten, dessen Vater Arzt ist.
I know a student whose father is a doctor.

These examples show that you should not choose the relative pronoun simply by looking at the noun before the comma. Instead, identify the gender and number of the noun and then determine the case required inside the relative clause.

A Simple Method to Choose the Correct Pronoun

If you are unsure which relative pronoun to use, follow a few simple steps.

Step 1: Find the noun being described

Look at the noun immediately before the comma.

Example:

Ich kenne den Mann, ___ mir geholfen hat.

The noun is den Mann.

Step 2: Identify its gender and number

Mann is masculine and singular.

Step 3: Examine the relative clause

Ask what role the pronoun has in the clause.

___ mir geholfen hat

The person represented by the pronoun is the one doing the helping, so the pronoun is the subject.

Step 4: Choose the case

The subject is nominative, so the correct masculine relative pronoun is der.

The complete sentence is:

Ich kenne den Mann, der mir geholfen hat.
I know the man who helped me.

This approach is much more effective than memorising individual sentences.

Common Mistakes B1 Learners Should Avoid

One of the most common mistakes is choosing the case based only on the noun in the main clause.

For example:

Ich kenne den Mann, der mir geholfen hat.

Although den Mann is accusative in the main clause, der is correct because it is the subject of the relative clause.

Another common mistake is placing the verb incorrectly.

Incorrect:

Das ist die Frau, die in Berlin arbeitet.
This sentence is actually correct because arbeitet is at the end.

A common incorrect pattern would be:

Das ist die Frau, die arbeitet in Berlin.

The correct form is:

Das ist die Frau, die in Berlin arbeitet.

Remember that the conjugated verb normally goes to the end of a German relative clause.

Learners should also remember to use a comma before the relative clause.

How to Practise German Relative Clauses

The easiest way to become comfortable with relative clauses is to start with two simple sentences and combine them.

For example:

Ich kenne einen Mann. Der Mann arbeitet bei einer Bank.

Combine them:

Ich kenne einen Mann, der bei einer Bank arbeitet.

Next, practise different cases:

Ich kenne den Mann. Ich habe den Mann gestern gesehen.

Becomes:

Ich kenne den Mann, den ich gestern gesehen habe.

You can also describe people, places and objects around you using relative clauses. For example, describe your school, workplace, hometown or favourite book.

Reading German texts is another useful method. Whenever you see a comma followed by a relative pronoun, identify the noun it refers to and check why that particular case has been used.

German Grammar Relative Clauses at B1 Level

A good understanding of German relative clauses can make your German sound more detailed and natural. Instead of using several short sentences, you can connect related ideas.

For example:

Ich habe ein Auto. Das Auto ist sehr alt. Es gehört meinem Vater.

This can be combined into:

Ich habe ein Auto, das sehr alt ist und meinem Vater gehört.

The second version avoids unnecessary repetition and allows you to express more information in one sentence.

At B1 level, you do not need to master every advanced relative-clause construction immediately. Focus first on nominative, accusative and dative forms, then gradually add genitive constructions and relative clauses with prepositions.

Conclusion

Relative clauses are an important part of B1 German because they allow you to connect ideas and provide additional information in a natural way. The most important points to remember are the gender and number of the noun, the case required inside the relative clause, the comma before the clause and the position of the verb at the end.

Regular practice with German relative clause examples will help you recognise these structures more quickly and use them with greater confidence. Understanding German grammar relative clauses step by step is much more effective than trying to memorise long lists of forms.

With consistent reading, writing and speaking practice, relative clauses can become a natural part of your German communication and help you produce longer, clearer and more accurate B1-level sentences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are German relative clauses?

German relative clause are dependent clauses that provide additional information about a person, place, object or idea mentioned in the main sentence.

Why are relative clauses important for B1 German learners?

They help learners connect ideas, avoid unnecessary repetition, and create longer, more natural sentences in both speaking and writing.

Where does the verb go in a German relative clause?

The conjugated verb normally goes to the end of the relative clause. For example: Das ist der Mann, der in Berlin arbeitet.

How do I choose the correct German relative pronoun?

First identify the gender and number of the noun being described. Then determine the case required by the relative pronoun within the relative clause.

What are the nominative relative pronouns in German?

The nominative forms are der for masculine, die for feminine, das for neuter, and die for plural nouns.

When do I use “den” in a relative clause?

Den is the masculine accusative relative pronoun. It is used when the masculine noun is the direct object within the relative clause, such as Der Mann, den ich gesehen habe.

What are the dative relative pronouns in German?

The dative forms are dem for masculine and neuter, der for feminine, and denen for plural nouns.

When are “dessen” and “deren” used?

Dessen and deren are genitive relative pronouns used to express possession. For example: Der Mann, dessen Auto kaputt ist means “The man whose car is broken.”

Can “was” be used as a German relative pronoun?

Yes. Was is commonly used after words such as alles, etwas, nichts and vieles, as in Alles, was ich weiß, ist hier

What is the best way to practise German relative clause?

Start by combining two simple sentences into one relative clause. Practise nominative, accusative and dative forms first, then move on to prepositions, genitive forms and more complex structures.