German relative clauses: relative pronouns in all four cases
Gender from outside, case from inside. The relative-clause two-rule formula.
TL;DR
Two rules decide every relative pronoun. Rule 1: gender + number come from the antecedent (the noun outside the relative clause). Rule 2: case comes from the verb or preposition inside the relative clause. The table is mostly the definite article — the only diverging forms are the genitive (dessen / deren) and the dative plural (denen). Verb goes to the end, comma fences the relative clause on both sides.
The two-step formula
German relative pronouns inflect for two independent variables. The first variable — gender and number — you read from the antecedent noun sitting outside the relative clause. The second variable — case — you read from the verb or preposition inside the relative clause. Because the two variables are independent, you never need to guess. Look outward for gender, look inward for case, then find the intersection.
Once you split the decision in two, every relative pronoun form becomes derivable. You are no longer memorising 16 cells — you are running a 2-variable lookup. Relative clauses are also subordinate clauses: the conjugated verb goes to the very end and the clause is fenced by commas. For a full treatment of verb-final word order, see the subordinate clauses page.
Der Mann, ___ ich gestern getroffen habe, ist mein Lehrer.
The full relative-pronoun table
All 16 forms. The genitive row (dessen · deren · dessen · deren) and the dative plural (denen) are the only cells that diverge from the definite article — every other form is identical. If you know your articles, you already know 13 of these 16 forms.
Relative pronouns: der / die / das
TABLE| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
| Dative | dem | der | dem | denen |
| Genitive | dessen | deren | dessen | deren |
All forms match the definite article except Genitive (dessen/deren) and Dative plural (denen).
Worked examples — all four cases
The same antecedent takes different relative-pronoun forms depending on what the verb inside the relative clause demands. These eight sentences show the full case × gender spread.
dessen / deren — the only forms that diverge
These are the only relative-pronoun forms that do not match the definite article. The definite article genitives are des / der — not dessen / deren.
dessen and deren also appear as demonstrative pronoun forms in other contexts — do not confuse them with the relative-pronoun use described here.
der/die/das vs. welcher/welche/welches
der/die/das vs. welcher/welche/welches
Both forms introduce relative clauses and follow the same two-step rule. The choice is register, not grammar.
Used in all registers: speech, informal writing, formal writing.
die Studenten, die hier wohnen
the students who live here
Preferred in formal writing when "der/die/das" next to a definite article creates ambiguity.
die Studenten, welche hier wohnen
the students who live here (formal)
welcher has no genitive forms — it cannot replace dessen or deren. In spoken German, welcher is rare; most B1 learners can focus on recognising it.
welcher declension (nominative · accusative · dative only)
welcher / welche / welches
TABLE| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | welcher | welche | welches | welche |
| Accusative | welchen | welche | welches | welche |
| Dative | welchem | welcher | welchem | welchen |
| Genitive | — no genitive forms (use dessen/deren) | |||
No genitive forms — use dessen/deren instead.
Relative clauses with prepositions
When the relative clause requires a preposition, it sits before the relative pronoun — never stranded at the end as in English. The case of the relative pronoun follows the preposition's normal government: mit always takes dative, für always takes accusative, and so on.
Once you know your preposition cases, the relative pronoun form is mechanical. German does not strand prepositions at the end of a clause — "der Mann, der ich mit spreche" is ungrammatical.
wo / wohin / woher — place relatives
For geographic places (cities, countries, regions), wo is the more idiomatic relative pronoun. Both wo and a preposition + relative pronoun are grammatically correct, but wo flows more naturally with place names.
was and wer — universal antecedents
was — indefinite/universal antecedents
Use was after alles, etwas, nichts, vieles, manches, and after das as a placeholder for a whole preceding clause.
wer — "whoever" (no explicit antecedent)
Use wer to introduce a relative clause without an explicit noun antecedent. It inflects by case: wer (Nom), wen (Akk), wem (Dat).
Word order inside the relative clause
Relative clauses are subordinate clauses: the conjugated verb goes to the very end. The relative clause sits immediately after the antecedent, fenced by commas. The main clause then resumes after the closing comma.
Der Mann, der gestern angekommen ist, ist mein Onkel.
ist goes to the end of the relative clause; angekommen precedes it.
Das Buch, das er gelesen haben soll, wurde verfilmt.
soll is the conjugated modal — it goes very last; haben precedes it, gelesen before that.
Relative clauses are one type of subordinate clause. This page covers the relative-pronoun mechanics specifically (der/die/das/welche, dessen/deren, wo/wer/was, and preposition + relative pronoun). The subordinate-clauses page covers all subordinate clause types — causal (weil/da), temporal (als/wenn/nachdem), conditional (wenn/falls), concessive (obwohl), purposive (damit), and content (dass/ob) clauses, as well as relatives.
Read about subordinate clauses (Nebensatz)4 mistakes to avoid
dessen/deren ≠ definite article genitive
des / der are the definite article genitives; dessen / deren are the relative pronoun genitives. They look similar but serve different functions. "Der Mann, dessen Auto…" (relative) vs. "der Preis des Autos" (definite article). Never swap them.
Never strand the preposition (English-style)
✗ der Mann, der ich mit spreche — ungrammatical. The preposition must precede the relative pronoun: ✓ der Mann, mit dem ich spreche.
welcher (relative) vs. welcher (interrogative)
"Welches Buch liest du?" is an interrogative (which book?). "Das Buch, welches du liest, …" is a relative clause. They use the same word with different functions. Questions guide coming soon.
Wrong case inside the relative clause
The most common B1 exam error. The case is set by the verb (or preposition) inside the relative clause, not by the antecedent's role in the main clause. "Das ist der Mann, den ich kenne" — accusative den because kennen takes accusative, even though der Mann is nominative in the main clause.