Relative Clauses in the Genitive - Relativsätze im Genitiv

Relative clauses are a familiar topic that is frequently used in German. Compared to relative clauses in the Nominativ, Akkusativ, or Dativ, relative clauses in the Genitiv have some special characteristics. So what exactly are these special characteristics? Let's explore them together in today's article!!!

1. Relative pronouns in the Genitiv

2. Relative clauses in the Genitiv

Consider the following examples:

a. Peter ist Lehrer. Peters Eltern kommen aus Deutschland.

(Peter is a teacher. Peter's parents come from Germany.)

→ Peter, dessen Eltern aus Deutschland kommen, ist Lehrer.

(Peter, whose parents come from Germany, is a teacher.)

b. Die Söhne Peter und Sam lernen schnell Deutsch. Ihre Freunde kommen aus Deutschland.

(The sons Peter and Sam quickly learn German. Their friends come from Germany.)

→ Die Söhne Peter und Sam, deren Freunde aus Deutschland kommen, lernen schnell Deutsch.

(The two sons Peter and Sam, whose friends come from Germany, learn German very quickly.)

• The question that arises is: Eltern is in the plural form (Plural) and takes the gender die, so why is the relative pronoun dessen used? Meanwhile, Freunde is also in the plural form and takes the gender die, so why is the relative pronoun deren used?- The answer is: when forming a relative clause in the Genitiv, the relative pronoun is declined according to the noun preceding it — the noun that the relative clause is used to modify. Therefore, Peter is singular, masculine (der), so the relative pronoun must be dessen. Conversely, Die Söhne Peter und Sam is in the plural form (Plural), so the relative pronoun to be used must be deren.