Preposition + wie

Relative for People + Prep

Level 3

In Dutch, when a relative clause refers to a person and involves a preposition (like 'with', 'to', or 'about'), you must use the structure: preposition + wie.

How It Works

The pattern preposition + wie is the standard way to link a person mentioned in the main clause to a relative clause where they are the object of a preposition.

Key Rules:

  • Human Antecedents: This pattern is strictly for people. If you are referring to an object, you must use waar + preposition (e.g., waarmee).
  • Word Order: Because this introduces a relative clause, the conjugated verb must move to the very end of the clause (standard subordinate clause word order).
  • Invariance: The word wie does not change based on gender or number. It is used for de-words, het-words, singular, and plural.
  • Register: This is not 'formal' Dutch; it is the everyday, neutral way to speak. Avoiding it usually results in ungrammatical sentences.

Examples (4)

  1. De vrouw aan wie ik het cadeau gaf, was erg blij.

    The woman to whom I gave the gift was very happy.

    Word by Word: The woman to whom I the gift gave, was very happy.

    Here, 'aan wie' refers back to 'de vrouw'. The verb 'gaf' moves to the end of the relative clause.

  2. De collega's met wie we samenwerken, komen uit Utrecht.

    The colleagues with whom we work come from Utrecht.

    Word by Word: The colleagues with whom we together-work, come from Utrecht.

    Even though 'collega's' is plural, 'wie' remains the same.

  3. De man over wie we praten, is een beroemde schrijver.

    The man about whom we are talking is a famous writer.

    Word by Word: The man about whom we talk, is a famous writer.

    The preposition 'over' (about) is placed directly before 'wie'.

  4. De kinderen voor wie ik zorg, zijn erg lief.

    The children for whom I care are very sweet.

    Word by Word: The children for whom I care, are very sweet.

    Standard usage of 'voor wie' to refer to a group of people.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'die' after a preposition when referring to a person.

    De man met die ik praat.
    De man met wie ik praat.

    While 'die' is the standard relative pronoun for people, it cannot follow a preposition. You must switch to 'wie'.

  • Using 'waar-' forms (pronominal adverbs) for people.

    Different MeaningDe vrouw waarmee ik werk.
    De vrouw met wie ik werk.

    'De vrouw waarmee ik werk' is heard in speech and is not wrong. In careful or formal writing, 'preposition + wie' is the preferred form for people, while 'waarmee' is the normal form for things.

  • Incorrect word order in the relative clause.

    De man met wie praat ik.
    De man met wie ik praat.

    Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, so the verb must go to the end.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Preposition + wieLevel 3Relative for People + Prep

Learn This First

To use 'preposition + wie', you need to understand how to use the pronoun 'wie' for people, how prepositions function, and how to structure a relative clause using subordinate word order.

Words in This Pattern

wie