Emphasis: et war ... deen
It Was ... Who: Et War ... Deen
To stress one part, say et ass or et war + that part + a relative clause: Et war de Paul, deen ugeruff huet. (It was Paul who called.)
How It Works
1. The pattern
Et + ass or war + the focused part + a relative clause. English does the same with it was ... who:
- De Paul huet ugeruff. → Et war de Paul, deen ugeruff huet. (It was Paul who called, not someone else.)
2. The relative pronoun agrees
- masculine: Et war de Paul, deen ugeruff huet.
- feminine: Et ass dës Saach, déi mech stéiert.
- neuter: Et war d'Kand, dat d'Fënster opgemaach huet.
- plural: Et sinn d'Elteren, déi decidéieren.
With a plural noun, the verb is plural too: et sinn, et waren. The relative pronoun follows the n-rule: deen ugeruff but dee mir gehollef huet.
3. Time and place: wou
When the focus is on when or where, use wou: Et war zu Paräis, wou mir eis fir d'éischt gesinn hunn. Some speakers also use wou after people, but deen, déi and dat are the careful choice there.
4. Questions
A question word can be focused too: Wie war et, deen ugeruff huet? (Who was it that called?)
Another way to stress something is simply to put it first, see fronting for emphasis.
Examples (6)
- Et war de Paul, deen ugeruff huet.
It was Paul who called.
De Paul is masculine, so the relative pronoun is deen.
- Et ass dës Saach, déi mech stéiert.
It's this thing that bothers me.
Saach is feminine, so the relative pronoun is déi.
- Et war d'Kand, dat d'Fënster opgemaach huet.
It was the child who opened the window.
Kand is neuter, so the relative pronoun is dat.
- Et sinn d'Elteren, déi decidéieren.
It's the parents who decide.
With a plural noun, et ass becomes et sinn.
- Et war zu Paräis, wou mir eis fir d'éischt gesinn hunn.
It was in Paris that we first saw each other.
For a place or time, the clause starts with wou.
- Wie war et, deen ugeruff huet?
Who was it that called?
Wien loses its n before w.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the verb in second place in the relative clause.
Et war de Paul, deen huet ugeruff.Et war de Paul, deen ugeruff huet.The relative clause is a subordinate clause, so its verb goes to the end.
Using the wrong gender for the relative pronoun.
Et war d'Kand, deen d'Fënster opgemaach huet.Et war d'Kand, dat d'Fënster opgemaach huet.Kand is neuter, so the relative pronoun is dat, even when the child is a boy.
Keeping et ass with a plural noun.
Et ass d'Elteren, déi decidéieren.Et sinn d'Elteren, déi decidéieren.When the focused noun is plural, the verb is plural: et sinn, et waren.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before It Was ... Who: Et war ... deen, learn Relative Clauses With Deen, Déi and Dat.
Related Patterns
- Relative wouWou for Places and Times
Wou starts the clause when the focus is a time or a place.
Level 3 - Putting Something Else First
Putting a word first is the simpler way to stress it.
Level 3 - et Pointing Forward
Et also starts sentences that point forward to a later clause.
Level 5 - Naming the Topic First
Naming a topic first and picking it up with dee is another way to highlight it.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
Practice Emphasis: et war ... deen in Bubblegum
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