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Relative clause in the nominative (der/die/das as subject)

Relativsatz im Nominativ

When the relative is the of the , it takes the : der/die/das.

Structure

der/die/das (Subjekt) + ... + Verb am Ende

der/die/das (subject) + ... + verb at the end

Details

Part of Speech
Sentence Structure
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Standard

Explanation

A relative clause gives extra information about a . When the relative pronoun is the subject of the (it does the action), it takes the nominative.

Nominative relative pronouns: der (m), die (f), das (n), die (pl).

The takes its gender and number from the it refers to, but the case (here ) comes from its function inside the relative clause. The conjugated goes to the end.

Examples:

  • Das ist der Mann, der dort am Fenster steht. - That is the man who is standing at the window.
  • Ich kenne die Frau, die nebenan wohnt. - I know the woman who lives next door.
  • Das Kind, das dort spielt, ist mein Sohn. - The child who is playing there is my son.

A comma always separates the from the .

Common mistakes: Choosing the from the instead of the function inside the . Forgetting -final position (der dort steht am Fenster is wrong). Omitting the comma.

About Relative clause in the nominative (der/die/das as subject)

When the relative is the of the , it takes the : der/die/das.

If the relative does the action (is the ), use the der (m), die (f), das (n), die (pl). It agrees in gender/ with the ; the goes last.

Ist das Relativpronomen das des Relativsatzes, steht es im : der/die/das.

Caution

The pronoun's gender/number come from the noun it refers to, but the nominative is chosen because it is the subject inside the relative clause. The verb goes to the end.

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