1. Relativpronomen / Relativsätze:
(Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses in German)
(Prof. Engel-Doyle, Version vom )

2. Relativpronomen / Relativsätze:
Was wollte der Kaiser machen,
dessen Armee Weinsberg erobert hatte?
English equivalent:
… the emperor …, whose army had conquered Weinsberg?

3. Relativpronomen / Relativsätze:
Der Kaiser … sagte:
„Morgen dürft ihr die Stadt verlassen, und
die Dinge,
dürft ihr auch aus der Stadt bringen.”
die ihr auf eurem Rücken tragen könnt,
English equivalent:
… the things that/which you can carry on your back ….

4. Relativpronomen / Relativsätze:
Die Frauen … dachten nur
an ihre Männer,
die am nächsten Tag sterben sollten.
English equivalent:
… their men folk, who were supposed to die the next day.

5. Relativpronomen Was wollte der Kaiser machen, dessen
The relative pronoun is called that (= relative)
because it stands for and
refers/relates to a specific preceding noun in another clause.
That noun is called ANTECEDANT.
Was wollte der Kaiser machen,
dessen
Armee Weinsberg erobert hatte?

6. Relativpronomen die Dinge, die Der Kaiser … sagte:
The relative pronoun is called that (= relative) because it stands for and
refers/relates to a specific preceding noun in another clause.
That noun is called ANTECEDANT.
Der Kaiser … sagte:
„Morgen dürft ihr die Stadt verlassen, und
die Dinge,
die
ihr auf eurem Rücken tragen könnt,
dürft ihr auch aus der Stadt bringen.”

7. Relativpronomen Die Frauen … dachten nur an ihre Männer,
The relative pronoun is called that (= relative) because it stands for and
refers/relates to a specific preceding noun in another clause.
That noun is called ANTECEDANT.
Die Frauen … dachten nur an ihre Männer,
die
am nächsten Tag sterben sollten.

8. Relativpronomen: Formen
maskulin Sg.
neutrum Sg.
feminin Sg.
Plural (m+n+f)
der
das
die
die
Nominativ
den
das
die
die
Akkusativ
dem
dem
der
deren
Dativ
dessen
dessen
deren
deren
Genitiv
The German relative pronoun forms are basically the same as the definite articles.
However, in the dative plural, –en is added.
Similarly, all genitive forms attach/add -en.
In addition, in the genitive masculine and neuter, the --s-- is doubled.

9. Relativpronomen/ Relativsätze
The relative pronoun
--agrees with the antecedant in number and gender
-- here: singular masculine,
BUT
--the case of the relative pronoun depends
on its function within the relative clause.; here: genitive case.
Was wollte der Kaiser machen,
dessen [whose = possessive => genitive case]
Armee Weinsberg erobert hatte?

10. Relativpronomen/ Relativsätze
The relative pronoun
--agrees with the antecedant in number and gender
-- here: singular neuter,
BUT
--the case of the relative pronoun depends
on its function within the relative clause.; here: genitive case.
Es war einmal ein kleines Mädchen,
dessen [whose = possessive => genitive case]
Vater und Mutter gestorben waren.

11. Relativpronomen/ Relativsätze
The relative pronoun
--agrees with the antecedant in number and gender
-- here: singular neuter,
BUT
--the case of the relative pronoun depends
on its function within the relative clause; here: dative case.
Es war so arm, dass es kein Bettchen mehr hatte,
in dem [in + no motion with direction towards the object of the preposition => dative case]
es schlafen konnte.

12. Relativpronomen/ Relativsätze
The relative pronoun
--agrees with the antecedant in number and gender
-- here: plural,
BUT
--the case of the relative pronoun depends
on its function within the relative clause; here: accusative case.
Es besaß [= hatte] nur die Kleider,
die [direct object in accusative case]
es auf dem Leib [=Körper] trug.

13. Relativpronomen/ Relativsätze
The relative pronoun
--agrees with the antecedant in number and gender
-- here: singular neuter,
BUT
--the case of the relative pronoun depends
on its function within the relative clause; here: accusative case.
… und zu essen besaß es nur ein Stückchen Brot,
das [direct object in accusative case]
ihm ein mitleidiger Mensch
geschenkt hatte.

14. Relativpronomen: Formen
maskulin Sg.
neutrum Sg.
feminin Sg.
Plural (m+n+f)
der
das
die
die
Nominativ
den
das
die
die
Akkusativ
dem
dem
der
deren
Dativ
dessen
dessen
deren
deren
Genitiv
The German relative pronoun forms are basically the same as the definite articles.
However, in the dative plural, –en is added.
Similarly, all genitive forms attach/add -en.
In addition, in the genitive masculine and neuter, the --s-- is doubled.

15. Relativpronomen
Unlike in English, the relative pronoun is NEVER OMITTED in German:
Once upon a time, there was
a young woman whom
everybody called Cinderella.
Es war einmal
ein Mädchen, das
alle Aschenputtel nannten.
Once upon a time, there was
a young woman _____
everybody called Cinderella.
Es war einmal
ein Mädchen, das
alle Aschenputtel nannten.
Once upon a time, there was
a young woman who
was called Cinderella.
Es war einmal
ein Mädchen, das
alle Aschenputtel nannten.
Once upon a time, there was
a young woman _____
called Cinderella.
Es war einmal
ein Mädchen, das
alle Aschenputtel nannten.

16. Relativpronomen Der junge Mann, der die Prinzessin rettete,
Unlike in English, the relative pronoun is NEVER OMITTED in German:
Der junge Mann, der
die Prinzessin rettete,
war ein Prinz.
The young man who
rescued the princess
was a prince.
Der junge Mann, der
die Prinzessin rettete,
war ein Prinz.
The young man ____
rescuing the princess
was a prince.

17. Relativsätze Der junge Mann, der die Prinzessin rettete,
Unlike in English, German relative clauses are ALWAYS SET OFF BY COMMAS
(regardless whether they are defining or non-defining):
Der junge Mann, der
die Prinzessin rettete,
war ein Prinz.
The young man
who rescued the princess
was a prince.
The frog king,
who really was a man under an evil spell,
married the princess in the end.
Der Froschkönig, der
wirklich ein verwünschter Mann war,
heiratete die Prinzessin am Ende.

18. Relativsätze der die Prinzessin rettete,
Like most* subordinated/dependant clauses in German,
German relative clauses have the CONJUGATED VERB at the VERY END:
Der junge Mann,
der die Prinzessin rettete,
war ein Prinz.
The young man who
rescued the princess
was a prince.
Es war einmal ein Mädchen,
das alle Aschenputtel nannten.
Once upon a time, there was
a young woman whom
everybody called Cinderella.
*The only exception to this rule are subordinate clauses with double infinitive structures.
Unlike any other non-conjugated verb part which always is at the end,
double infinitives go even behind the subordinate conjugated verb (which stays at the very end)
to the very, very end of the subordinated clause.

19. Relativsätze Was wollte der Kaiser machen,
Like most* subordinated/dependant clauses in German,
German relative clauses have the CONJUGATED VERB at the VERY END:
Was wollte der Kaiser machen,
dessen Armee Weinsberg erobert hatte?
*The only exception to this rule are subordinate clauses with double infinitive structures.
Unlike any other non-conjugated verb part which always is at the end,
double infinitives go even behind the subordinate conjugated verb (which stays at the very end)
to the very, very end of the subordinated clause.

20. Relativsätze in das Das Tier, mit dem Rotkäppchen sprach,
Unlike in English, if there is a PREPOSITION connected to the relative pronoun,
it ALWAYS PRECEDES (= goes before) the relative pronoun:
Das Tier,
mit dem
Rotkäppchen sprach,
war ein großer, böser Wolf.
The animal (that) Little Red Riding Hood
talked with was a big bad wolf.
The castle (that) the prince went into
was under a bad spell.
Das Schloss,
in das
der Prinz ging,
war verwünscht.
The castle into which the prince went
was under a bad spell.