Relative pronouns connect clauses and give extra information about a noun. They agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to and sometimes change form depending on whether they introduce a defining or non-defining clause.
Key German Relative Pronouns
The main relative pronouns are der, die, das for defining clauses, and welcher, welche, welches which are more formal. Wer, was, and wo are used in special cases when referring to people or things more generally.
| German Word(s) | English Translation(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| der | who / which / that | |
| die | who / which / that | |
| das | which / that | |
| welcher | which / that | |
| welche | which / that | |
| welches | which / that | |
| wer | whoever / the one who | |
| was | what / that which | |
| wo | where / in which |
The man who is driving the car is my uncle.
Defining vs Non-Defining Clauses
Defining relative clauses give essential information and use relative pronouns without commas. Non-defining clauses add extra details, are set off by commas, and typically use der/die/das rather than welcher.
Usage
The relative pronoun must match the gender and number of the noun it refers to and take the case required by the relative clause (which can be nominative, accusative, dative, or genitive). The relative pronoun then introduces the relative clause that modifies the noun.
Examples
Summary
Relative pronouns like der, die, das tie clauses together by referring back to a noun and must agree in gender, number, and case. Use defining clauses for essential information without commas and non-defining clauses for extra details with commas.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025