Relativsätze sicher verwenden
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 6 opens Unit II by bringing relative clauses fully under control. You already met relative pronouns in the nominative, accusative, and dative during Chapters 2 and 3 and used them again in the Chapter 5 review. This chapter develops that foundation into confident, precise use: choosing the correct relative pronoun for gender, number, and case; punctuating relative clauses correctly; and combining prepositions with relative pronouns to describe people, things, places, and ideas with more detail. You will also meet genitive relative pronouns for the first time, but only as a recognition item — you are not expected to produce them independently yet. Sophie, Anna, and Markus return with a new thread: Sophie is helping a friend describe a new apartment and neighborhood, which gives everyone reason to describe people, places, and things more precisely.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Select the correct relative pronoun for nominative, accusative, and dative contexts.
- Punctuate sentences containing relative clauses correctly.
- Combine common prepositions with relative pronouns to describe location, means, and relationship.
- Recognize genitive relative pronouns in a text without being required to produce them.
- Read a description-heavy text and identify the case of each relative pronoun.
- Write and speak precise descriptions of people, places, and things using controlled relative clauses.
Opening Scenario
Sophie's friend Julia is moving to a new apartment and has asked Sophie to help her write a short description of the building, the neighborhood, and the landlord for a mutual friend who is considering a similar move. Anna and Markus join in, since Markus knows the building's landlord and Anna knows the neighborhood well. Describing an apartment, a landlord, and a neighborhood precisely — not just naming them, but saying exactly which one, with which features — requires the relative-clause control this chapter develops.
- Study the Core Vocabulary and the Grammar section on relative clauses.
- Follow the Model Dialogue between Sophie and Julia.
- Complete the Guided Practice exercises.
- Complete the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing tasks.
- Finish with the Practical Performance Task.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports describing housing, neighborhoods, and people in the kind of detail relative clauses make possible.
Wohnung und Gebäude
- die Wohnung, die Wohnungen — apartment
- der Vermieter, die Vermieter — landlord
- die Vermieterin, die Vermieterinnen — landlady
- das Gebäude, die Gebäude — building
- der Balkon, die Balkone — balcony
Nachbarschaft
- die Nachbarschaft, die Nachbarschaften — neighborhood
- der Nachbar, die Nachbarn — neighbor (male/generic)
- die Nachbarin, die Nachbarinnen — neighbor (female)
- die Umgebung, die Umgebungen — surroundings
Beschreibende Adjektive
- ruhig — quiet
- hell — bright, well-lit
- zuverlässig — reliable
- praktisch — practical, convenient
Relativsatz-Signale
- der, die, das, die (Pl.) — relative pronouns
- mit dem/der/denen — with whom/which
- in dem/der/denen — in which
- von dem/der/denen — from/of whom/which
All active nouns above appear with article and plural, as required for productive vocabulary throughout the series.
Grammar: Relative Clauses in Control
A relative clause describes a noun (the antecedent) using its own internal sentence. Two separate decisions control the relative pronoun:
- Gender and number come from the antecedent — the noun being described.
- Case comes from the relative pronoun's job inside the relative clause itself, not from the antecedent's role in the main clause.
The finite verb moves to the end of the relative clause, and a comma always separates the relative clause from the rest of the sentence.
Relative Pronoun Forms by Case
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
| Dative | dem | der | dem | denen |
| Genitive (receptive only) | dessen | deren | dessen | deren |
The genitive row is shown for recognition only. You are not expected to produce genitive relative pronouns independently at this stage; they are introduced productively in a later volume.
Nominative Relative Pronouns
Use the nominative relative pronoun when the relative pronoun is the subject of its own clause.
- Das ist der Vermieter, der die Wohnung renoviert hat.That's the landlord who renovated the apartment.der = masc. nom., subject of "hat renoviert"
- Die Nachbarschaft, die direkt am Park liegt, ist sehr beliebt.The neighborhood that lies right by the park is very popular.
Accusative Relative Pronouns
Use the accusative relative pronoun when the relative pronoun is the direct object of its own clause.
- Die Wohnung, die Julia gemietet hat, hat einen kleinen Balkon.The apartment that Julia rented has a small balcony.die = fem. acc., object of "hat gemietet"
- Der Nachbar, den Markus schon kennt, ist sehr zuverlässig.The neighbor whom Markus already knows is very reliable.
Dative Relative Pronouns
Use the dative relative pronoun when the verb, adjective, or preposition inside the relative clause requires the dative.
- Das ist die Vermieterin, der Julia die Fragen gestellt hat.That's the landlady to whom Julia asked the questions.der = fem. dat., indirect object of "gestellt hat"
- Die Nachbarn, denen das Haus gehört, wohnen im Erdgeschoss.The neighbors to whom the house belongs live on the ground floor.
Prepositions with Relative Pronouns
When the relative clause needs a preposition, the preposition comes directly before the relative pronoun, and the preposition governs the pronoun's case.
- Der Park, in dem die Kinder spielen, ist sehr grün.The park in which the children play is very green.
- Die Kollegin, mit der Sophie oft spricht, wohnt auch in der Nähe.The colleague with whom Sophie often talks also lives nearby.
- Das ist der Vermieter, von dem Markus die Adresse bekommen hat.That's the landlord from whom Markus got the address.
Punctuation of Relative Clauses
A relative clause is always set off with a comma. If the relative clause falls in the middle of the sentence, it is set off with a comma on both sides.
- Die Wohnung, die Julia gemietet hat, liegt im dritten Stock.The apartment that Julia rented is on the third floor.
The genitive relative pronouns dessen (masculine/neuter) and deren (feminine/plural) express "whose." You will see them in reading texts from this chapter onward, but you are not required to produce them yet.
- Der Vermieter, dessen Wohnung Julia gemietet hat, wohnt selbst im Nachbarhaus.The landlord whose apartment Julia rented lives in the building next door himself.
Model Dialogue
Context: Sophie and Julia sit at Sophie's kitchen table, drafting the description Julia wants to send to a friend.
Guided Practice
Übung 1 — Die richtige Form wählen (Choosing the Correct Form)
Fill in the correct relative pronoun.
- Das ist die Wohnung, ___ Julia gemietet hat.
- Der Vermieter, ___ die Wohnung renoviert hat, wohnt nebenan.
- Die Nachbarn, ___ das Haus gehört, sind sehr freundlich.
- Das Gebäude, ___ aus den 1960er-Jahren stammt, sieht noch modern aus.
Übung 2 — Präposition und Relativpronomen (Preposition Plus Relative Pronoun)
Combine each pair of sentences using a preposition and a relative pronoun.
- Das ist der Park. Julia joggt in dem Park.
- Das ist die Kollegin. Sophie spricht oft mit der Kollegin.
- Das ist der Vermieter. Markus hat die Adresse von dem Vermieter bekommen.
Übung 3 — Satzzeichen setzen (Adding Punctuation)
Add the missing commas to each sentence.
- Die Wohnung die Julia gemietet hat liegt im dritten Stock.
- Der Vermieter den Markus kennt ist sehr zuverlässig.
- Das Gebäude in dem die Wohnung liegt wurde letztes Jahr renoviert.
Übung 4 — Genitiv erkennen (Recognizing the Genitive — Receptive)
Read each sentence and identify what dessen or deren refers to. You do not need to produce these forms yourself.
- Der Vermieter, dessen Wohnung Julia gemietet hat, wohnt im Nachbarhaus.
- Die Nachbarin, deren Balkon direkt über Julias Balkon liegt, ist sehr nett.
Listening Practice
Ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud. Listen once for the overall content, then again to identify each relative clause and its case.
Kurzbeitrag — Listening Script
Julia hat eine Wohnung gefunden, die im dritten Stock eines älteren Gebäudes liegt. Der Vermieter, den Markus schon kennt, hat das Gebäude vor einem Jahr renoviert. Die Nachbarschaft, in der die Wohnung liegt, ist ruhig, und der Park, in dem Julia morgens joggen möchte, ist nur wenige Minuten entfernt. Die Nachbarin, deren Balkon direkt über ihrem liegt, hat Julia schon herzlich willkommen geheißen.
Verständnisfragen
1. In welchem Stock liegt Julias neue Wohnung?
2. Wer hat das Gebäude renoviert, und woher kennt Markus diese Person?
3. Was gefällt Julia an der Nachbarschaft?
4. Identify the case of the relative pronoun in each of the four relative clauses in the script.
Speaking Practice
Aufgabe: Meine Wohnung und meine Nachbarschaft
Work with a partner. Describe your own home, a neighbor, and a place near where you live, using at least one relative clause in each of the nominative, accusative, and dative cases.
Partner A — Beschreiben
Describe your home, using a nominative relative clause and an accusative relative clause.
- Include at least one preposition with a relative pronoun.
Partner B — Nachfragen
Ask follow-up questions about the person or place described, then describe your own using a dative relative clause.
- Try to use the correct relative pronoun without pausing to check the table.
Bewertungshinweise — Speaking Criteria
- At least one relative clause each in the nominative, accusative, and dative.
- At least one preposition combined correctly with a relative pronoun.
- Correct clause-final verb position in each relative clause.
- Overall intelligibility and natural pacing.
Solo alternative: Record yourself describing your home and neighborhood, then transcribe and check each relative pronoun's case.
Reading Practice
Julias Wohnungsbeschreibung
Die Wohnung, die ich seit letztem Monat habe, liegt in einem Gebäude, das aus den 1960er-Jahren stammt, aber vor einem Jahr renoviert wurde. Der Vermieter, dem ich meine Fragen gestellt habe, war von Anfang an sehr zuverlässig. Die Nachbarschaft, in der ich jetzt wohne, ist ruhig, und der Park, in dem ich morgens joggen kann, ist nur fünf Minuten entfernt. Meine Nachbarin, deren Balkon direkt über meinem liegt, hat mir schon beim Einzug geholfen. Insgesamt ist es genau die Art von Wohnung, die ich mir gewünscht hatte.
Verständnisfragen
1. Seit wann hat Julia die Wohnung?
2. Wie beschreibt Julia den Vermieter?
3. Was mag Julia an der Nachbarschaft?
4. Find every relative clause in the text and label its case. Which one is genitive, and what does it tell you (recognition only)?
Writing Workshop — A Precise Description
Write a short description (120–180 words) of a home, a neighbor, or a place you know well, following Julia's model.
- Introduce the place or person. Use a nominative relative clause to add a first detail.
- Add a second detail. Use an accusative relative clause naming something someone did to or with it.
- Add a third detail. Use a dative relative clause, ideally combined with a preposition.
- Punctuate carefully. Check that every relative clause is set off with commas.
- Revise using the checklist below.
Checkliste — Editing Checklist:
- At least one relative clause each in the nominative, accusative, and dative.
- At least one preposition combined correctly with a relative pronoun.
- Every relative clause has correct comma placement.
- Every relative clause has the finite verb in final position.
- All nouns are capitalized; umlauts and ß are used correctly.
Culture and Communication
Precise description matters in everyday German housing communication — describing an apartment, a landlord, or a neighborhood accurately is common in classified ads, rental applications, and conversations with friends helping each other find housing. Rental practices, building types, and neighborhood character vary widely across German-speaking regions and even within one city, so describe specific features rather than making general claims about "German apartments" as a single type.
Terms for floors, building types, and rental practices can differ between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — for example, ground-floor numbering conventions are not identical everywhere. Any specific rental terms, prices, or legal details used in real communication should be checked against a current, reliable local source.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *Der Vermieter, die Wohnung renoviert hat, wohnt nebenan.
Correction: The relative pronoun's case depends on its role inside the relative clause, not on the antecedent: Der Vermieter, der die Wohnung renoviert hat, wohnt nebenan. Here der is nominative because it is the subject of "hat renoviert."
Error: *Die Wohnung die Julia gemietet hat liegt im dritten Stock.
Correction: German always sets off a relative clause with commas, even when English would not require one: Die Wohnung, die Julia gemietet hat, liegt im dritten Stock.
Error: *Das ist der Park, den Julia joggt in.
Correction: The preposition comes directly before the relative pronoun, and its case governs the pronoun: Das ist der Park, in dem Julia joggt.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 6 developed the relative clauses introduced in Chapters 2 and 3 into confident, controlled use. You practiced selecting the correct relative pronoun for nominative, accusative, and dative contexts, punctuating relative clauses correctly, and combining prepositions with relative pronouns to add detail. You also met genitive relative pronouns as a recognition-only item. Julia's apartment description, developed with Sophie's help, gave you a model for describing people, places, and things with precision.
Practical Performance Task
Kapitel 6 — Praktische Aufgabe
Eine genaue Beschreibung — A Precise Description
Choose a home, a neighbor, or a place you know well and produce a short spoken and written description that combines all three cases of relative clause.
1. Vorstellen
Introduce the place or person with a nominative relative clause.
2. Ergänzen
Add an accusative relative clause with a second detail.
3. Vertiefen
Add a dative relative clause, ideally with a preposition.
4. Überprüfen
Check punctuation and clause-final verb position throughout.
Component 1 — Spoken performance: Perform the Speaking Practice task with a partner, or record a solo alternative.
Component 2 — Written performance: Complete the Writing Workshop task.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Case selection | Correct relative pronoun for nominative, accusative, and dative contexts |
| Preposition + pronoun | At least one accurate preposition-plus-relative-pronoun combination |
| Punctuation | Commas correctly placed around every relative clause |
| Verb position | Finite verb correctly placed at the end of each relative clause |
| Vocabulary use | Accurate use of housing and neighborhood vocabulary with gender and plural |
Answer Key
Guided Practice — Übung 1
- Das ist die Wohnung, die Julia gemietet hat. (accusative)
- Der Vermieter, der die Wohnung renoviert hat, wohnt nebenan. (nominative)
- Die Nachbarn, denen das Haus gehört, sind sehr freundlich. (dative)
- Das Gebäude, das aus den 1960er-Jahren stammt, sieht noch modern aus. (nominative)
Guided Practice — Übung 2
- Das ist der Park, in dem Julia joggt.
- Das ist die Kollegin, mit der Sophie oft spricht.
- Das ist der Vermieter, von dem Markus die Adresse bekommen hat.
Guided Practice — Übung 3
- Die Wohnung, die Julia gemietet hat, liegt im dritten Stock.
- Der Vermieter, den Markus kennt, ist sehr zuverlässig.
- Das Gebäude, in dem die Wohnung liegt, wurde letztes Jahr renoviert.
Guided Practice — Übung 4 (Recognition)
- dessen refers back to der Vermieter, and indicates that the apartment belongs to him.
- deren refers back to die Nachbarin, and indicates that the balcony belongs to her.
Listening — Comprehension Questions
- Die Wohnung liegt im dritten Stock.
- Der Vermieter, den Markus schon kennt, hat das Gebäude renoviert.
- Julia gefällt, dass die Nachbarschaft ruhig ist und ein Park in der Nähe liegt.
- "die im dritten Stock ... liegt" (nominative); "den Markus schon kennt" (accusative); "in der die Wohnung liegt" (dative); "in dem Julia morgens joggen möchte" (dative).
Reading — Comprehension Questions
- Julia hat die Wohnung seit letztem Monat.
- Julia beschreibt den Vermieter als von Anfang an sehr zuverlässig.
- Julia mag, dass die Nachbarschaft ruhig ist und ein Park zum Joggen in der Nähe liegt.
- Relative clauses: "die ich seit letztem Monat habe" (accusative); "das aus den 1960er-Jahren stammt" (nominative); "dem ich meine Fragen gestellt habe" (dative); "in der ich jetzt wohne" (dative); "in dem ich morgens joggen kann" (dative); "deren Balkon direkt über meinem liegt" (genitive, recognition only — indicates the neighbor's balcony); "die ich mir gewünscht hatte" (accusative).
Speaking, Writing, and Performance Task
Open production. Evaluate using the performance task criteria table above: case selection, preposition-plus-pronoun accuracy, punctuation, verb position, and vocabulary use. Accept any natural, accurate response that meets these criteria.
Looking Ahead
Was Sie nach Kapitel 6 können — What you can do after Chapter 6
You can now select the correct relative pronoun for nominative, accusative, and dative contexts, punctuate relative clauses correctly, and combine prepositions with relative pronouns to describe people, places, and things precisely. This control of description prepares you for Chapter 7, where you will describe processes and procedures using the passive voice.