RELATIVE PRONOUNS AND INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS (Die Relativ- und Interrogativpronomen)

Relativpronomen

• der, die, das; Plural: die
  
• welcher, welche, welches;Plural: welche
  
• wer, was

Function

Relativpronomen make the connection with a Relativsatz (relative phrase). Examples, where Relativsatz and declension case are shown in parantheses:

Kennen Sie den Mann, der mich besucht hat?

(Der Mann hat mich besucht. Nominativ (wer oder was?))


Dort spielen die Kinder wieder, denen du zugeschaut hast.


(Du hast den Kindern zugeschaut. Dativ (wem?))


Der Wagen, den du gesehen hast, gehört nicht mir.


(Du hast den Wagen gesehen. Akkusativ (wen oder was?))


Die Mitarbeiter, deren wir heute gedenken, waren hier 10 Jahre tätig.


(Wir gedenken der Mitarbeiter. Genitiv plural (wessen?))

The examples demonstrate that the reference Nomen's Kasus, Genus, and Numerus (case, gender, and number) determine the form of the Relativpronomen. The pronouns der, die, das are the simplest and most frequently used Reflexivpronomen.

They are declined under the same schedule, whether their use is demonstrative or relative. We repeat their declension table here only for convenience, at the same time indicating their function to connect a Relativsatz (relative phrase).

• The Relativpronomen should be repeated when both reference nouns, that in the main phrase and that in the relative phrase, are in the 1.Person or 2.Person. The gender of the pronoun must then agree with the natural gender of the main phrase's reference noun. When this reference noun is plural, there should be inserted alle, so as to assure plural reference identification. Examples:
  Er fragt dich, der du seine Sorgen kennst, um Rat. (natürlich Maskulin, Singular)
  Er fragt dich, die du seine Sorgen kennst, um Rat. (natürlich Feminin, Singular)
  Ich wünsche euch, die ihr mir zuhört, guten Erfolg. (Plural)
  Ich danke Ihnen, der Sie mir geholfen haben (natürl. Maskulin höflich formell, Singular)
  Ich danke Ihnen die Sie mir geholfen haben (natürl. Feminin höflich formell, Singular)
  Ich danke Ihnen die Sie alle mir geholfen haben (Plural höflich formell)
  

  
  

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  Relativpronomen welcher, welche, welches

  	Singular			Plural
  	M	F	N	M, F, N
  Nominativ	welcher	welche	welches	welche
  Akkusativ	welchen	welche	welches	welche
  Dativ	welchem	welcher	welchem	welchen
  Genitiv	dessen	deren	dessen	deren

  
  Comments

  • These forms can be used interchangeably with the der, die, das forms. Stylistically, the whelch- forms are not pretty, however. They are used to avoid a der, die, das sequence with articles, or when several relative phrases are strung, which easily results in a repetitiveness in style. Examples:
    Er hob das Blatt auf, welches das Kind verloren hatte.
    Die, welche die falschen Angaben gemacht hatten, werden bestraft.
    Karl spielte nicht mehr mit Peter, welcher den Ball, der ihm gehörte, verloren hatte.

    
    

  • The Genitiv forms are identically der, die, das forms, q.v.
    
    
  • Welch- forms are used also as attribute to a noun that summarizes the contents of a factual prior statement. Example:
    Ich schrieb ihm, er müsse das Geld zu dem festgesetzten Termin zurückzahlen, von welcher Forderung ich nicht abgehen würde. (Feminin Singular, Dativ)
    (I wrote him he had to repay the money by the stipulated date, a demand from which I would not deviate; the demand summarizes the contents of the factual statement of the main phrase.)
  • The welch-pronouns can be used also interrogatively - e.g. "welches Zimmer?" - and as exclamation - e.g. "welche Ehre!".

  
  

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  Relativpronomen wer, was

  Only Singular	Maskulin, Feminin	Neutrum
  Nominativ	wer	was
  Akkusativ	wen	was
  Dativ	wem	---
  Genitiv	wessen	wessen

  Comments

  • Wer, was can be used as relative pronouns and as interrogative pronouns. Examples:
    
    Wen wir schicken ist gleichgültig. (Whom we dispatch does not matter.)
    Wen schicken wir? (Whom shall we dispatch?)
    
  • The plural form is obtained by adding the fixed form alles at the end of the last pronoun. Examples:
    
    Wer alles wird kommen?
    Was gibt es alles zu sehen?
    

    
    

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  Go on to the next page (The Indefinite Pronouns)
  Return to Page 1, Pronouns' main page: Pronouns, Personal Pronouns
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  Created: 13.04.98
  Last modified: 13.04.98
  Author: H.Vogel email: hvogel@travlang.com
  Site maintained by: H.Vogel

  Copyright (c)H.Vogel at The Travlang Company, 1998.

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  URL: http://www.travlang.com/latinvision/german/ihgg/pronoun4.html

  
  

  
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