Relative clauses let you give extra information about a person or thing without starting a new sentence: Der Mann, der neben mir wohnt, ist Arzt (The man who lives next door is a doctor). At B1 level they are essential — you need the right relative pronoun (der, die, das, wo, was), the correct case, and the verb pushed to the end of the clause. This exercise practises all three.
Short answer: a relative clause gives more information about a noun and is introduced by der, die, das, wo or was. The conjugated verb goes to the end: Der Mann, der neben mir wohnt, ist Arzt.
Relative pronouns: der, die, das
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
| Dative | dem | der | dem | denen |
| Genitive | dessen | deren | dessen | deren |
How to build a relative clause
Three steps: (1) identify the noun you want to describe, (2) choose the relative pronoun matching its gender and number, (3) put the pronoun in the case it plays inside the clause, and move the conjugated verb to the end.
- Der Mann, der neben mir wohnt, ist Arzt. — der is masculine nominative (he is the subject).
- Das ist das Buch, das ich lese. — das is neuter accusative (the book is the object).
- Die Frau, der ich helfe, ist meine Nachbarin. — der is feminine dative (helfen + dative).
- Der Freund, dessen Auto hier steht, ist krank. — dessen = genitive (his car).
For places use wo: Die Stadt, wo ich wohne. For indefinite things use was: Alles, was du sagst, stimmt.
Relative clauses build on your B1 prepositions and genitive vs dative knowledge — if those are solid, this topic clicks fast.
Exercise A – Choose the relative pronoun
Type the correct relative pronoun, including the preposition when needed (e.g. in der).
Fill each gap with the correct relative pronoun (der, die, das, den, dem, deren, dessen, wo, was).
Show the full solutions
Der Mann, der neben mir wohnt, ist Arzt.
Das ist das Buch, das ich lese.
Die Frau, der ich helfe, ist meine Nachbarin.
Die Leute, die wir treffen, sind nett.
Der Freund, dessen Auto hier steht, ist krank.
Die Stadt, in der ich geboren wurde, ist klein. (or: wo ich geboren wurde)
Das Kind, das hier spielt, ist fünf.
Ich verstehe nicht, was du sagst.
Exercise B – Combine the two sentences
Combine each pair using a relative clause. Type the complete sentence.
Complete each sentence with the relative clause (with full stop).
Show the full solutions
Das ist der Mann, der in München wohnt.
Das ist das Haus, das ich sehe.
Das ist die Frau, mit der wir sprechen.
Das sind die Kinder, die hier spielen.
Das ist der Ort, wo wir uns kennengelernt haben.
Relative clauses at B1: what to focus on
- Gender + number from the noun, case from the clause: the two rules that solve 90% of the choices.
- Verb at the end: the conjugated verb always finishes the relative clause.
- Prepositions before the pronoun: mit der, auf dem, in dem — the preposition decides the case.
- wo and was shortcuts: wo for places, was after alles/nichts/das Beste.
- Commas are mandatory: every relative clause is set off by commas in German.
Continue practising at B1 with the genitive vs dative exercise, the prepositions exercise and the verbs with prepositions exercise.
For authoritative grammar reference, see the Duden language guide and DW Learn German.
Frequently asked questions
What is a relative clause in German?
A relative clause (Relativsatz) gives more information about a noun and is introduced by a relative pronoun: der, die, das (who/which/that), wo (where) or was (what). The conjugated verb goes to the very end of the relative clause: Der Mann, der neben mir wohnt, ist Arzt.
How do I choose the right relative pronoun?
The relative pronoun matches the gender and number of the noun it refers to, and takes its case from its role inside the relative clause. For example, Der Mann, dem ich helfe — the man is masculine, and dem is the dative because you help (jemandem) someone. So you combine noun gender with clause case.
When do I use “wo” instead of “der/die/das”?
Use wo after place words (die Stadt, das Land, der Ort) and especially when a preposition + pronoun would be awkward: Die Stadt, wo ich wohne or in der ich wohne are both fine, but wo is simpler and very common in spoken German.
When do I use “was”?
Use was (not das) after indefinite pronouns (alles, nichts, etwas), after the superlative (das Beste, das Schönste) and after das itself in das, was constructions: Alles, was ich weiß, Das Beste, was ich gesehen habe.
Where can I practise more B1 German?
Try the free B1 genitive vs dative exercise, the B1 prepositions exercise and the B1 verbs with prepositions exercise.
