Relative Pronoun (Dative)

Level 3

Relative pronouns in the dative case (dem, der, dem, denen) are used when the noun being described functions as an indirect object or follows a dative preposition within the relative clause.

How It Works

In German, relative clauses provide extra information about a noun. When that noun plays a 'dative' role in the new clause, we must use the dative forms of the relative pronoun.

1. The Forms:

  • Masculine: dem
  • Feminine: der
  • Neuter: dem
  • Plural: denen (Note: this is different from the article 'den')

For formal writing, you may also encounter the forms welchem (masculine/neuter), welcher (feminine), and welchen (plural) as a formal alternative to avoid repeating the same sounds.

2. When to use Dative:
You use these forms if the relative clause contains:

3. Specific Nouns vs. Indefinite References:
For specific nouns, you generally use the 'preposition + dative pronoun' construction (e.g., das Haus, in dem ich wohne - the house in which I live). Wo-compounds like womit or wovon are primarily used when referring back to indefinite words like alles, etwas, or an entire preceding sentence. However, wo-compounds can never be used for people, even with indefinite pronouns like jemand or niemand. For people, you must always use the preposition + dative pronoun (e.g., jemand, mit dem ich arbeite - someone with whom I work - is correct, while jemand, womit is incorrect). (Note: While the 'preposition + pronoun' construction is generally preferred and more common in modern German for specific objects, you may hear a wo-compound for a specific object, e.g., der Stift, womit ich schreibe, but it sounds informal and the version with mit dem is the standard one.)

4. Word Order:
Like all relative clauses, the conjugated verb must move to the very end of the clause. If a preposition is used, it comes right before the relative pronoun (e.g., mit dem). The preposition and the relative pronoun are a 'package deal' and can never be separated by other words. Unlike in English, where you can end a sentence with a preposition (e.g., 'The house that I live in'), this is strictly forbidden in German. You must always keep the preposition and relative pronoun together (e.g., Das Haus, in dem ich wohne, never Das Haus, das ich wohne in).

5. Punctuation:
A comma is always required to separate the main clause from the relative clause. The comma must precede the entire relative construction, including any prepositions (e.g., ..., mit dem ich arbeite). If the relative clause interrupts the middle of the main clause, it must be enclosed by two commas (e.g., Das Haus, in dem ich wohne, ist sehr alt.).

Examples (5)

  1. Der Mann, dem ich helfe, ist mein Onkel.

    The man whom I am helping is my uncle.

    Word by Word: The man, [to] whom I help, is my uncle.

    The verb 'helfen' requires the dative case. Since 'Mann' is masculine, we use 'dem'.

  2. Das ist die Frau, der das Auto gehört.

    That is the woman to whom the car belongs.

    Word by Word: That is the woman, [to] whom the car belongs.

    The verb 'gehören' is a dative verb. Since 'Frau' is feminine, we use 'der'.

  3. Die Kinder, denen wir Geschenke geben, freuen sich.

    The children to whom we are giving gifts are happy.

    Word by Word: The children, to whom we gifts give, rejoice themselves.

    In the plural, the dative relative pronoun is 'denen'. Note that it is different from the standard dative article 'den'.

  4. Das ist der Kollege, mit dem ich arbeite.

    That is the colleague with whom I work.

    Word by Word: That is the colleague, with whom I work.

    The preposition 'mit' always triggers the dative case. The preposition stays inside the relative clause, placed right before the pronoun.

  5. Das Haus, in dem ich wohne, ist alt.

    The house in which I live is old.

    Word by Word: The house, in which I live, is old.

    Here, 'in' is a two-way preposition indicating location, which requires the dative 'dem' for the neuter noun 'Haus'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'den' instead of 'denen' for the plural dative.

    Die Leute, den ich helfe...
    Die Leute, denen ich helfe...

    While the dative plural article is 'den', the relative pronoun has its own special form: 'denen'.

  • Incorrect word order in the relative clause.

    Der Mann, dem ich helfe heute.
    Der Mann, dem ich heute helfe.

    Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, meaning the conjugated verb must go to the very end.

  • Matching the case to the main clause instead of the relative clause.

    Ich sehe den Mann, den ich danke.
    Ich sehe den Mann, dem ich danke.

    Even though 'Mann' is the accusative object of 'sehen' in the first part, it is the dative object of 'danken' in the relative clause. The relative pronoun must be dative.

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Relative Pronoun (Dative)Level 3

Learn This First

To learn dative relative pronouns, a learner needs to combine their knowledge of how relative clauses are structured (verb-final order) with the specific forms of the dative case. Understanding the nominative relative pronoun first is essential for grasping the core concept of referring back to a noun.

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denen