dessen/deren
Relative Pronoun (Genitive)
The genitive relative pronouns dessen and deren function like the English word 'whose'. They connect a relative clause to a noun (the possessor) to show that something belongs to it.
How It Works
In German, when you want to describe a noun by mentioning something it owns, you use a genitive relative pronoun. This is a formal and precise way to express possession.
1. Agreement Rules:
Unlike English 'whose', which never changes, German pronouns change based on the 'possessor' (the noun before the comma):
- Der Mann, dessen Auto... (The man [masc.], whose car...)
- Das Kind, dessen Spielzeug... (The child [neut.], whose toy...)
- Die Frau, deren Tasche... (The woman [fem.], whose bag...)
- Die Leute, deren Haus... (The people [plur.], whose house...)
2. Case of the Possessed Noun:
While the pronoun itself is genitive, the noun following it takes the case required by its role in the clause. For example, if the possessed noun is the direct object, it is in the Accusative Case: Der Mann, dessen Hund ich suche (The man whose dog I am looking for).
3. Using Prepositions:
If the relative clause requires a preposition, it must be placed before the relative pronoun: Die Frau, mit deren Kind ich spiele... (The woman with whose child I am playing...).
4. Important Grammatical Constraints:
- No Articles: The noun following dessen/deren never takes an article. It is 'dessen Hund', not 'dessen der Hund'.
- No Genitive Endings: Even if the possessed noun is masculine or neuter, it does not take the usual genitive -s ending. Example: dessen Hund (correct), dessen Hundes (incorrect).
- Adjective Endings: If an adjective comes after the pronoun, it uses strong endings (e.g., dessen neues Auto).
5. Word Order:
As with all relative clauses, the conjugated verb must move to the very end of the clause.
Examples (4)
- Das ist der Künstler, dessen Bilder in Paris ausgestellt werden.
That is the artist whose paintings are being exhibited in Paris.
Word by Word: That is the artist, whose pictures in Paris exhibited become.
Here, 'dessen' refers back to 'der Künstler' (masculine). Note that 'Bilder' has no article.
- Wir besuchten die Frau, deren Garten so berühmt ist.
We visited the woman whose garden is so famous.
Word by Word: We visited the woman, whose garden so famous is.
'deren' is used because the possessor 'die Frau' is feminine.
- Die Studenten, deren Ergebnisse wir heute besprechen, haben gut gearbeitet.
The students whose results we are discussing today worked well.
Word by Word: The students, whose results we today discuss, have well worked.
'deren' is used here because 'die Studenten' is plural.
- Dort steht das Haus, dessen Dach repariert werden muss.
There stands the house whose roof must be repaired.
Word by Word: There stands the house, whose roof repaired become must.
'dessen' refers to 'das Haus' (neuter). Note that 'Dach' does not take an -s ending.
Common Mistakes
Using an article after the relative pronoun.
Der Mann, dessen das Auto kaputt ist...Der Mann, dessen Auto kaputt ist...In German, you must never place an article (der, die, das) between the genitive relative pronoun and the noun it modifies.
Matching the pronoun to the object instead of the possessor.
Der Mann, deren Frau ich kenne...Der Mann, dessen Frau ich kenne...Learners often use 'deren' because 'Frau' is feminine. However, the pronoun must match the possessor ('der Mann'), which is masculine, so 'dessen' is required.
Adding a genitive -s to the possessed noun.
Der Autor, dessen Buches ich lese...Der Autor, dessen Buch ich lese...The noun after 'dessen' or 'deren' does not get a genitive -s or -es ending because of the pronoun. Here 'Buch' is the object of 'lese', so it stays 'Buch'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn genitive relative pronouns, you must first understand how basic relative clauses function in German, how the genitive case marks possession, and how word order changes in subordinate clauses.
- der/die/dasRelative Pronoun
Genitive relative pronouns are an extension of the basic relative pronoun system and follow the same subordinate clause structure.
Level 3 - Genitive Case Articles
Understanding the genitive case forms for articles is necessary to recognize the 'dessen' and 'deren' forms used in relative clauses.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- Relative Clause Word Order
All relative clauses, including those with 'dessen/deren', require the verb to be at the end.
Level 3 - Genitive Replaced By Von + Dative
In spoken German, people often avoid 'dessen/deren' by using 'von' + dative constructions.
Level 3 - Adjective Endings Without An Article
Adjectives following 'dessen/deren' must use strong endings because these pronouns do not trigger weak declension.
Level 3
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Practice dessen/deren in Bubblegum
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