 |
 |
The relative pronouns
der, die, das |
| |
|
masculine |
feminine |
neutral |
| |
Singular |
|
|
|
| |
Nominative |
der |
die |
das |
| |
Genitive |
dessen |
der |
dessen |
| |
Dative |
dem |
der |
dem |
| |
Accusative |
den |
die |
das |
| |
Plural |
|
|
|
| |
Nominative |
die |
die |
die |
| |
Genitive |
deren |
deren |
deren |
| |
Dative |
denen |
denen |
denen |
| |
Akkusativ |
die |
die |
die |
| |
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|
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Examples:
Let's try to combine these two phrases into
one |
| |
Der Wein steht
auf dem Tisch.
Ich kaufte ihn gestern. |
|
| = The wine is on the table. I bought it
yesterday. |
|
| |
These two phrases
combined to one: |
| |
Der Wein,
den ich gestern kaufte, steht auf dem Tisch. |
|
| = The wine, that
I bought yesterday, is on the table. |
|
|
The main clause is Der Wein steht
auf dem Tisch. The object to which the relative
pronoun refers is Wein.
Wein is singular masculine.
In the main phrase Wein is
in Nominative, but that is not to interesting to us. That
what is more interesting is which declination has Wein
in the relative clause. In the relative clause
Wein has the Accusative -declination,
because we ask What did I buy
yesterday?
|
Ich kaufte
ihn gestern. Wen kaufte ich gestern? Ihn. |
|
| = I bought it yesterday. What did I buy
yesterday? It. |
|
|
This means that we have the Accusative-declination. Looking at the table for declinations we find that the correct pronoun is den. This means the phrase is:
|
Der Wein,
den
ich gestern kaufte, steht auf dem Tisch. |
|
|
|
Let's try to combine these two phrases into
one |
| |
Ich
habe den Männern Geld gegeben.
= I have given money to the men. |
|
Du siehst sie da.
= You see them overthere. |
|
| |
Ich habe den Männern,
die du da
siehst, Geld gegeben.
= I have given money to the men, that
you see over there.
|
|
|
The main clause is Ich habe den
Männern Geld gegeben.
The object that is referred to is den
Männern. Den Männern
is plural masculine. In the main phrase die
Männer is in Dative, but that doesn't interest us
too much. That, what's interesting to us is, which declination
die Männer have in the relative clause. In
the relative phrase die Männer
are in Accusative -declination.
|
Du siehst
sie da. Wen siehst du da? Sie.
= You see them over there. Whom do you see?
Them
|
|
|
So we need the relative pronoun in plural masculine in
Accusative -declination, which is - according to the table,
die. The phrase is:
|
Ich
habe den Männern, die
du da siehst, Geld gegeben.
|
|
|
| |
Let's
try to combine these two phrases into one
|
|
Die Frauen
sind im Schwimmbad.
|
|
| = The women are in the swimming pool. |
|
| Die Töchter der Frauen
sind in der Schule. |
|
| = The daughters of the women are in school. |
|
| |
Die Frauen, deren
Töchter in der Schule sind, sind im Schwimmbad.
|
|
| = The women, whose daughters
are in school, are in the swimming pool. |
|
|
The main clause is Die Frauen
sind im Schwimmbad.
The object that is referred to is die
Frauen. Die Frauen
is plural feminine. In the main phrase die
Frauen is in Nominative, but that doesn't interest
us too much. That, what's interesting to us is which
declination die Frauen have
in the relative clause. In the relative phrase die
Frauen is in Genitive-declination.
|
Die Töchter
der Frauen. Wessen Töchter? Die Töchter der
Frauen.
|
|
| = The women, whose daughters are in school,
are in the swimming pool. |
|
We need the relative pronoun in plural feminine and in
Genitive-declination. According to the table it is deren.
The clause is:
|
Die
Frauen, deren
Töchter in der Schule sind, sind im Schwimmbad.
|
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Chapter 23
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