German Unlocked. Your Complete Guide to B2 Proficiency

Chapter 14: Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are subordinate clauses that provide additional information about a noun in the main clause. They function like adjectives, adding detail and specificity. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to form and use relative clauses in German.

What is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause is a clause that modifies a noun in the main clause. It starts with a relative pronoun (der, die, das, welcher, welche, welches) or a relative adverb (wo, wann, warum).

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect the relative clause to the main clause and act as the subject, direct object, or indirect object within the relative clause. The relative pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies (its antecedent) in the main clause. The case of the relative pronoun depends on its function within the relative clause itself.

The most common relative pronouns are derived from the definite articles der, die, das. The case of the relative pronoun depends on what role it plays within the relative clause. Here’s how the form changes:

For masculine nouns:

In the nominative case (when the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause), use der.

In the accusative case (when the relative pronoun is the direct object of the relative clause), use den.

In the dative case (when the relative pronoun is the indirect object of the relative clause), use dem.

In the genitive case (when the relative pronoun shows possession), use dessen.

For feminine nouns:

In the nominative case, use die.

In the accusative case, use die.

In the dative case, use der.

In the genitive case, use deren.

For neuter nouns:

In the nominative case, use das.

In the accusative case, use das.

In the dative case, use dem.

In the genitive case, use dessen.

For plural nouns:

In the nominative case, use die.

In the accusative case, use die.

In the dative case, use denen.

In the genitive case, use deren.

Word Order in Relative Clauses

The word order in relative clauses is different from that in main clauses. The conjugated verb always comes at the end of the clause. If there is a helping verb (like in the Perfekt tense) or a modal verb, both verbs are at the end, with the conjugated helping verb or modal verb coming last.

Examples of Relative Clauses

Let’s break down some examples:

Nominative Relative Pronoun (Subject in Relative Clause):

Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Vater. (dare mahn, dare dort shtate, ist main fah-ter) – The man who is standing there is my father.

(The noun being described is “der Mann”, so we use “der” as the relative pronoun in nominative case because the man is the subject within the relative clause.)

Die Frau, die singt, ist meine Schwester. (dee frau, dee zingt, ist mai-ne shves-ter) – The woman who is singing is my sister.

(The noun being described is “die Frau”, so we use “die” as the relative pronoun in nominative case because the woman is the subject within the relative clause.)

Accusative Relative Pronoun (Direct Object in Relative Clause):

Das Buch, das ich lese, ist sehr interessant. (das booh, das ihh lay-ze, ist zair in-te-res-sant) – The book that I am reading is very interesting.

(The noun being described is “das Buch”, so we use “das” as the relative pronoun in accusative case because the book is the direct object within the relative clause that “ich” am acting upon.)

Der Mann, den ich gesehen habe, ist mein Nachbar. (dare man, den ihh ge-zay-en hah-be, ist main nahh-bar) – The man whom I saw is my neighbor.

(The noun being described is “der Mann”, so we would use “der” but the man is the direct object of my seeing, so we change it to the accusative den.)

Dative Relative Pronoun (Indirect Object in Relative Clause):

Der Mann, dem ich helfe, ist krank. (dare mahn, dame ihh hel-fe, ist krank) – The man whom I am helping is sick.

(Helping is always in the dative case. Here, the man is the receiver of my help, thus he is in dative case and so the pronoun becomes dem.)

Die Frau, der ich das Buch gegeben habe, ist meine Lehrerin. (dee frau, dare ihh das buuh ge-gay-ben hah-be, ist mai-ne lay-re-rin) – The woman, to whom I gave the book, is my teacher.

(The noun being described is “die Frau”. Giving is always in the dative, thus the pronoun becomes “der”. )

Genitive Relative Pronoun (Possession in Relative Clause):

Der Mann, dessen Auto hier steht, ist mein Chef. (dare mahn, de-sen au-to heer shtate, ist main shef) – The man, whose car is standing here, is my boss.

(dessen is used to show that the car belongs to the man)

Die Frau, deren Kind krank ist, ist sehr besorgt. (dee frau, day-ren kint krank ist, ist zair be-zorgt) – The woman, whose child is sick, is very worried.

(deren is used to show that the child belongs to the woman)

Using “welcher, welche, welches” as Relative Pronouns

“welcher,” “welche,” and “welches” are alternative relative pronouns that are often used, especially in more formal writing. They function similarly to “der,” “die,” and “das,” but they are often considered more elegant. They are declined similarly to “der, die, das” in the accusative, dative, and genitive cases.

Der Mann, welcher dort steht, ist mein Vater.

Das Buch, welches ich lese, ist sehr interessant.

Die Frau, welcher ich helfe, ist meine Nachbarin.

Relative Adverbs

Relative adverbs introduce relative clauses that provide information about time, place, or reason.

wo (where): Indicates location.

Das Haus, wo ich wohne, ist sehr alt. (das haus, vo ihh vo-ne, ist zair ahlt) – The house where I live is very old.

wann (when): Indicates time.

Der Tag, wann ich Geburtstag habe, ist im Juni. (dare tahk, van ihh ge-boots-tahk hah-be, ist im yoo-nee) – The day when I have my birthday is in June.

warum (why): Indicates reason. (Often avoided. Use “weshalb” or rephrase the sentence)

Using Prepositions in Relative Clauses

When a relative clause requires a preposition, the preposition comes before the relative pronoun. The case of the relative pronoun is determined by the preposition.

Der Tisch, auf dem das Buch liegt, ist alt. (dare tish, auf dame das booh leekt, ist ahlt) – The table, on which the book is lying, is old.

(auf + dem = auf dem)

Die Person, mit der ich spreche, ist meine Lehrerin. (dee per-zoon, mit dare ihh shpreh-he, ist mai-ne lay-re-rin) – The person, with whom I am speaking, is my teacher.

(mit + der = mit der)

Contractions with “wo”

In spoken and informal written German, “wo” often contracts with prepositions:

wo + in = worin (in which)

wo + an = woran (on which)

wo + auf = worauf (on which)

wo + mit = womit (with which)

wo + von = wovon (of which/about which)

Examples with Contractions

Das ist das Buch, worin ich gelesen habe. – That’s the book in which I was reading.

Ich weiß nicht, wovon du sprichst. – I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Punctuation

Relative clauses are always separated from the main clause by commas.

Word Bank

Relativsatz (re-la-teef-zats) – Relative Clause

Relativpronomen (re-la-teef-pro-no-men) – Relative Pronoun

der, die, das – who, which, that

wo – where

wann – when

Exercises

Combine the following pairs of sentences into one sentence using a relative clause:

Der Mann ist mein Vater. Er steht dort.

Das Buch ist sehr interessant. Ich lese es.

Die Frau ist meine Lehrerin. Ich helfe ihr.

Fill in the blanks with the correct relative pronoun (der, die, das, den, dem, dessen, deren):

Der Film, ______ ich gestern gesehen habe, war toll.

Die Frau, ______ Mann Arzt ist, arbeitet hier.

Das Haus, ______ im Garten steht, ist sehr alt.

Die Kinder, ______ spielen, sind meine Nachbarn.

Translate the following sentences into German, using relative clauses:

The man who is standing there is my father.

The book that I am reading is very interesting.

The woman to whom I gave the book is my teacher.

The house where I live is very old.

I don’t know what you are talking about.

Rewrite 3 sentences using “welcher, welche, welches” instead of “der, die, das”

This concludes Chapter 14! You now have a good understanding of how to form and use relative clauses in German. They add detail and complexity to your writing and speech.

Chapter 15: The Subjunctive Mood (Konjunktiv)

The subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv) is used to express hypothetical situations, indirect speech, wishes, and polite requests. It’s an essential aspect of German grammar for conveying nuance and formality. There are two main forms of the subjunctive: Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II. In this chapter, we will focus on Konjunktiv II, as it is the more commonly used of the two.

What is the Subjunctive Mood?

The subjunctive mood allows you to express things that are not factual or certain. It can convey:

Hypothetical situations: “If I were rich…”

Indirect speech: “He said that he was tired…”

Polite requests: “Would you mind…”

Wishes: “If only I knew…”

Konjunktiv II Formation

Konjunktiv II is formed in two main ways:

From the Präteritum Stem of Weak Verbs (Regular Verbs): For weak (regular) verbs, Konjunktiv II is formed by adding “-e” to the Präteritum stem, along with the appropriate personal endings. However, this form is rarely used, as it is the same as the Präteritum form. As such, most speakers prefer to use the “würde” form (see below) for weak verbs.

Example: machen (to do)

Präteritum stem: machte-

Konjunktiv II: ich machte, du machtest, er/sie/es machte, wir machten, ihr machtet, sie/Sie machten (identical to Präteritum)

From the Präteritum Stem of Strong Verbs (Irregular Verbs): For strong (irregular) verbs, Konjunktiv II is formed by adding “-e” to the Präteritum stem, adding an umlaut to the stem vowel if possible, and using the appropriate personal endings.

Example: sein (to be)

Präteritum stem: war-

Konjunktiv II: ich wäre, du wärest, er/sie/es wäre, wir wären, ihr wäret, sie/Sie wären

Konjunktiv II Endings

The personal endings for Konjunktiv II are similar to those used in the Präteritum, but typically, they are preceded by an “-e-”:

ich -e

du -est

er/sie/es -e

wir -en

ihr -et

sie/Sie -en

Konjunktiv II of Common Verbs

Here are the Konjunktiv II forms of some important verbs:

sein (to be): ich wäre, du wärest, er/sie/es wäre, wir wären, ihr wäret, sie/Sie wären

haben (to have): ich hätte, du hättest, er/sie/es hätte, wir hätten, ihr hättet, sie/Sie hätten

werden (to become): ich würde, du würdest, er/sie/es würde, wir würden, ihr würdet, sie/Sie würden

können (can): ich könnte, du könntest, er/sie/es könnte, wir könnten, ihr könntet, sie/Sie könnten

müssen (must): ich müsste, du müsstest, er/sie/es müsste, wir müssten, ihr müsstet, sie/Sie müssten

dürfen (may): ich dürfte, du dürftest, er/sie/es dürfte, wir dürften, ihr dürftet, sie/Sie dürften

sollen (should): ich sollte, du solltest, er/sie/es sollte, wir sollten, ihr solltet, sie/Sie sollten

wollen (want): ich wollte, du wolltest, er/sie/es wollte, wir wollten, ihr wolltet, sie/Sie wollten

The “würde” Construction

Because the Konjunktiv II form of weak verbs is identical to the Präteritum, the “würde + infinitive” construction is often used instead. This involves using the Konjunktiv II form of “werden” (würde) as a helping verb, followed by the infinitive form of the main verb. This construction is also used for strong verbs to avoid confusion or to simplify the sentence.

Ich würde machen – I would do (instead of “ich machte”)

Sie würde kommen – She would come (instead of “sie käme”)

Using Konjunktiv II

Here are the main uses of Konjunktiv II:

Hypothetical Situations (Conditional Sentences): Konjunktiv II is used to express what would happen if something were true. These sentences often use “wenn” (if).

Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich ein Haus kaufen. (ven ihh raihh vay-re, würde ihh ain haus kau-fen) – If I were rich, I would buy a house.

Wenn ich Zeit hätte, würde ich dich besuchen. (ven ihh tsait het-te, würde ihh dihh be-zoo-hen) – If I had time, I would visit you.

Indirect Speech (Indirekte Rede): Konjunktiv II is used to report what someone else said, without necessarily claiming it is true.

Er sagte, er sei krank. (air zahk-te, air zai krank) – He said that he was sick. (Konjunktiv I is preferred here, but Konjunktiv II is acceptable if the Konjunktiv I form is identical to the indicative form)

Er sagte, er hätte keine Zeit. (air zahk-te, air het-te kai-ne tsait) – He said that he had no time.

Polite Requests and Suggestions: Konjunktiv II can make requests and suggestions sound more polite and less direct.

Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? (könn-ten zee meer bit-te hel-fen) – Could you please help me?

Hätten Sie vielleicht Zeit für mich? (het-ten zee fi-laiht tsait für mihh) – Would you perhaps have time for me?

Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee. (ihh het-te gern ai-nen kah-fay) – I would like a coffee. (A more formal way to say “Ich möchte einen Kaffee.”)

Expressing Wishes: Konjunktiv II is used to express wishes, often with the word “wenn” (if only).

Wenn ich nur fliegen könnte! (ven ihh noor flee-gen könn-te) – If only I could fly!

Wenn ich das nur gewusst hätte! (ven ihh das noor ge-voost het-te) – If only I had known that!

Konjunktiv II with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs in Konjunktiv II often express a softer, more polite, or hypothetical version of their usual meaning.

Ich könnte dir helfen. (ihh könn-te deer hel-fen) – I could help you. (More polite than “Ich kann dir helfen.”)

Du solltest mehr lernen. (doo zol-test mehr ler-nen) – You should learn more. (Advice)

Word Bank

Konjunktiv (kon-yoonk-teef) – Subjunctive Mood

Konjunktiv II (kon-yoonk-teef tsVai) – Subjunctive II

würde (wür-de) – would

wenn (ven) – if

wäre (vay-re) – were (Konjunktiv II of “sein”)

hätte (het-te) – had (Konjunktiv II of “haben”)

Exercises

Conjugate the following verbs in Konjunktiv II: haben, werden, können, müssen.

Rewrite the following sentences using the “würde” construction:

Ich kam.

Sie ging.

Wir spielten.

Translate the following sentences into German using Konjunktiv II:

If I were you, I would study more.

He said that he had no money.

Could you please close the window?

If only I knew the answer!

I would like a cup of tea.

Rewrite sentences using “sei” and “habe” with Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II

That concludes Chapter 15! You now have a solid understanding of Konjunktiv II and its various uses. It’s a complex but important aspect of German grammar that will add depth and nuance to your communication. Next, we’ll explore Chapter 16, which will delve into Prepositions with Two-Way Cases (Wechselpräpositionen).

Chapter 16: Prepositions with Two-Way Cases (Wechselpräpositionen)

German prepositions can be tricky because some prepositions govern different cases depending on the context. Prepositions that take either the accusative or dative case are called “Wechselpräpositionen” (two-way prepositions). Understanding these prepositions is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences and accurately conveying your meaning.

The Two Cases: Accusative and Dative

Accusative (Akkusativ): Used to indicate direction or movement to a place. It answers the question “Wo-hin?” (Where to?). Think of it as motion toward something.

Dative (Dativ): Used to indicate location or position at or in a place. It answers the question “Wo?” (Where?). Think of it as something existing or remaining in or on something.

The Two-Way Prepositions

There are nine prepositions that take either the accusative or the dative case:

an (ahn) – on, at (vertical surfaces, bodies of water)

auf (auf) – on, on top of (horizontal surfaces)

hinter (hin-ter) – behind

in (in) – in, into

neben (nay-ben) – next to, beside

über (ü-ber) – over, above

unter (oon-ter) – under, below

vor (for) – in front of, before

zwischen (tsvi-shen) – between

Accusative: Direction, Movement

When these prepositions are used to indicate direction or movement to a place, they take the accusative case. This usually signifies an action of going, putting, placing, etc.

an:

Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. (ihh hen-ge das bilt an dee vant) – I hang the picture on the wall. (Wo-hin? – to the wall)

auf:

Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (ihh lay-ge das booh auf den tish) – I put the book on the table. (Wo-hin? – onto the table)

hinter:

Er stellt sich hinter das Haus. (air shtelt zihh hin-ter das haus) – He stands behind the house. (Wo-hin? – behind the house)

in:

Ich gehe in die Stadt. (ihh gay-e in dee shtat) – I go into the city. (Wo-hin? – into the city)

neben:

Sie setzt sich neben mich. (zee zetst zihh nay-ben mihh) – She sits down next to me. (Wo-hin? – next to me)

über:

Der Vogel fliegt über den Baum. (dare fo-gel fleegt ü-ber den baum) – The bird flies over the tree. (Wo-hin? – over the tree)

unter:

Ich stelle den Stuhl unter den Tisch. (ihh shtel-le den shtool oon-ter den tish) – I put the chair under the table. (Wo-hin? – under the table)

vor:

Wir stellen uns vor das Kino. (veer shtel-len oons for das kee-no) – We stand in front of the cinema. (Wo-hin? – to in front of the cinema)

zwischen:

Ich lege das Geld zwischen die Bücher. (ihh lay-ge das gelt tsvi-shen dee bü-her) – I put the money between the books. (Wo-hin? – between the books)

Dative: Location, Position

When these prepositions are used to indicate location or position at a place, they take the dative case. This signifies something existing or remaining in a particular spot.

an:

Das Bild hängt an der Wand. (das bilt henkt an dare vant) – The picture is hanging on the wall. (Wo? – on the wall)

auf:

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (das booh leekt auf dem tish) – The book is lying on the table. (Wo? – on the table)

hinter:

Er steht hinter dem Haus. (air shtate hin-ter dem haus) – He is standing behind the house. (Wo? – behind the house)

in:

Ich bin in der Stadt. (ihh bin in dare shtat) – I am in the city. (Wo? – in the city)

neben:

Sie sitzt neben mir. (zee zitst nay-ben meer) – She is sitting next to me. (Wo? – next to me)

über:

Der Vogel fliegt über dem Baum. (dare fo-gel fleegt ü-ber dem baum) – The bird is flying over the tree. (Wo? – over the tree)

unter:

Der Stuhl steht unter dem Tisch. (dare shtool shtate oon-ter dem tish) – The chair is standing under the table. (Wo? – under the table)

vor:

Wir stehen vor dem Kino. (veer shtay-en for dem kee-no) – We are standing in front of the cinema. (Wo? – in front of the cinema)

zwischen:

Das Geld liegt zwischen den Büchern. (das gelt leekt tsvi-shen den bü-hern) – The money is lying between the books. (Wo? – between the books)

Important Note:

Remember to change the articles (der, die, das) and possessive pronouns (mein, dein, etc.) according to the case (accusative or dative).

Examples Illustrating the Difference

Accusative (Movement):

Ich gehe in das Haus. (ihh gay-e in das haus) – I go into the house. (Wo-hin? – to the house)

Dative (Location):

Ich bin in dem Haus. (ihh bin in dem haus) – I am in the house. (Wo? – in the house)

Accusative (Movement):

Ich stelle das Buch auf den Tisch. – I put the book on the table. (Wo-hin? – onto the table)

Dative (Location):

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. – The book is lying on the table. (Wo? – on the table)

Word Bank

Wechselpräpositionen (veks-el-pre-po-zee-tsee-o-nen) – Two-way prepositions

an (ahn) – on, at

auf (auf) – on, on top of

hinter (hin-ter) – behind

in (in) – in, into

neben (nay-ben) – next to, beside

über (ü-ber) – over, above

unter (oon-ter) – under, below

vor (for) – in front of, before

zwischen (tsvi-shen) – between

Wo-hin? (vo-hin) – Where to? (accusative)

Wo? (vo) – Where? (dative)

Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition and case (accusative or dative):

Ich lege das Buch ______ (auf) den Tisch. (I put the book ______ the table.)

Der Hund sitzt ______ (unter) dem Stuhl. (The dog sits ______ the chair.)

Sie geht ______ (in) die Schule. (She goes ______ school.)

Das Bild hängt ______ (an) der Wand. (The picture hangs ______ the wall.)

Wir stellen uns ______ (vor) das Haus. (We stand ______ the house.)

Translate the following sentences into German, paying attention to the correct prepositions and cases:

The cat is sitting on the bed.

I put the keys on the table.

He goes into the room.

The car is parked behind the house.

She is standing between her parents.

Create five original sentences in German, using different two-way prepositions and varying between the accusative and dative cases.

Using the sentences from Exercise 2, make one sentence for each that uses the opposite case from the original, making a new sentence. (e.g., if the original was dative, make it accusative.)

This completes Chapter 16! You now understand how to use prepositions that take two-way cases to indicate movement or location accurately. Practice these prepositions regularly to solidify your understanding.

Chapter 17: The Genitive Case

The genitive case is used to show possession or relationship. While less common in modern spoken German (often replaced by the dative case with “von”), it’s still important in formal writing and certain expressions. In this chapter, we’ll explore the formation and uses of the genitive case.

What the Genitive Case Indicates

The genitive case answers the question “Wessen?” (Whose?) and is used primarily to show:

Possession: Whose thing is it?

Relationship: The relationship of something to something else.

With Certain Prepositions: Certain prepositions always require the genitive case.

With Certain Verbs: Some verbs historically required it but this is now very rare.