Relativsätze with “was” for B1 Level: German-English Translation and Examples
Relativsätze are relative clauses in German, which are used to provide additional information about a noun in a sentence. In this article, we will focus on “Relativsätze mit was” (relative clauses with “was”), which is a common and important construction for the B1 level.
What are Relativsätze mit was?
Relativsätze mit was are relative clauses that use the pronoun “was” to refer to the noun in the main clause with the exception that these nouns are not people, so was is mainly used for things or ideas. They are used to provide additional information about a noun and are introduced by the word “was.”
Examples of Relativsätze mit was:
Das Haus, was ich gebaut habe, ist sehr groß. (The house that I built is very big.)
Der Film, was ich gestern gesehen habe, war sehr interessant. (The movie that I saw yesterday was very interesting.)
As you can see from these examples, the relative clause with “was” provides additional information about the noun in the main clause, making the sentence more descriptive and interesting.
When to use Relativsätze mit was?
Relativsätze mit was can be used to provide additional information about a noun in a sentence, such as the properties, actions, or characteristics of the noun. They are often used to answer questions like “what,” “which,” or “whose.”
For example:
Was ist das für ein Buch, das du gelesen hast? (What is the book that you read?)
Welches ist das Auto, was du kaufen willst? (Which is the car that you want to buy?)
Tips for using Relativsätze mit was:
Keep the relative clause as close as possible to the noun it refers to.
Make sure that the relative clause provides important and relevant information about the noun.
Use the relative clause to add detail to the sentence and make it more interesting to read.
In conclusion, Relativsätze mit was are a useful and important construction for B1 level German learners. By using the pronoun “was” to refer to a noun in a sentence and providing additional information about it, you can make your sentences more descriptive and interesting. Just remember to keep the relative clause close to the noun it refers to and to make sure it provides relevant information.