Relative Pronouns in German: Connecting Sentences with Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns are words in a sentence that link it to the noun or pronoun that precedes it. In German, there are several relative pronouns that are used to connect sentences according to the gender, number and grammatical case.
When connecting sentences with relative pronouns in German, it’s important to pay attention to the case that the relative pronoun should be in. In German, the case of the relative pronoun is determined by its role in the clause that it introduces. The three main cases are nominative, accusative and dative.
Here are some examples of sentences in German and their translations in English, showcasing the use of relative pronouns to connect sentences:
Example 1:
German: Der Mann, den ich gestern getroffen habe, ist sehr nett.
English: The man who I met yesterday is very nice.
In this example, the relative pronoun “den” is in the accusative case and is referring to the man. It is used to connect two sentences into one, by linking the information about the man who was met yesterday to the information that he is very nice.
Example 2:
German: Die Frau, mit der ich gestern im Park spazieren gegangen bin, war sehr freundlich.
English: The woman whom I went for a walk with in the park yesterday was very friendly.
In this example, the relative pronoun “mit der” is in the dative case and is referring to the woman. It is used to connect two sentences into one, by linking the information about the woman that was gone for a walk with yesterday to the information that she was very friendly.
Example 3:
German: Das Buch, das ich gelesen habe, war sehr interessant.
English: The book that I read was very interesting.
In this example, the relative pronoun “das” is in the nominative case and is referring to the book. It is used to connect two sentences into one, by linking the information about the book that was read to the information that it was very interesting.
In conclusion, using relative pronouns to connect sentences in German can help to make your writing more concise and understandable. By paying attention to the case that the relative pronoun should be in and selecting the appropriate relative pronoun, you can effectively link two sentences into one and express complex thoughts and ideas in a simple and straightforward way.