Relative pronouns (dative, genitive)
B1 · Intermediate · Advanced Structures
The rule
dem, der, denen; dessen, deren.
How it works
In the dative, relative clauses use dem (masculine and neuter), der (feminine) and denen (plural). In the genitive, dessen (masculine and neuter) and deren (feminine and plural) show possession. The genitive relative pronoun takes the gender of the possessed noun, not of the owner: der Mann, dessen Auto (masculine) ...
When to use it
Use dem, der, denen (dative) and dessen, deren (genitive) in relative clauses.
Use cases
- Describing someone you rely on: Das ist die Freundin, der ich vertraue
- Describing people who helped: Die Leute, denen wir geholfen haben
- Showing possession in formal writing: Die Firma, deren Gewinn steigt
Examples
- Die Frau, der ich helfe – The woman whom I help
- Das Kind, dem ich geholfen habe, war sehr dankbar. – The child I helped was very grateful.
- Der Lehrer, dessen Unterricht ich mag, ist krank. – The teacher whose lessons I like is ill.
- Die Studentinnen, deren Projekt gewonnen hat, feiern heute. – The students whose project won are celebrating today.
Common mistake
Using der for dative masculine: "dem" is correct after a preposition or dative verb.
Memory tip
Dative: dem, der, denen. Genitive: dessen (m, n) and deren (f, pl).
Read the wider picture in our guide: German Cases Explained: Nominative, Accusative, Dative and Genitive.