Relative clauses with prepositions

Understand the rule, see it in context, then put it into practice.

67 chapters · 64 common verbs
B1

Relative clauses with prepositions

Put the preposition before the relative pronoun. The preposition determines case; the noun being described determines gender and number. Keep the finite verb at the end.

Understand the idea

A relative pronoun can be the complement of a preposition. The preposition stays directly before the pronoun and determines its case. Gender and number still come from the antecedent, so two independent decisions are involved.

Build it step by step

Find the preposition required inside the relative clause. Determine its case, then choose a pronoun with the antecedent's gender and number. Common dative combinations use mit dem, mit der or mit denen. Accusative combinations include für den, für die and für das. Keep the relative clause's finite verb at the end.

See it in a sentence

Das ist die Kollegin, mit der ich arbeite.

That is the colleague with whom I work.

Das ist der Mann, von dem ich erzählt habe.

That is the man I told you about.

A useful memory aid

Reconstruct the plain sentence first: I travel with the friend. Then replace the repeated noun phrase by the appropriate preposition plus relative pronoun.

A common trap

Do not leave the preposition at the end as English sometimes does. Also do not contract a relative pronoun with a preposition as if it were an ordinary article.

Sources & how to use this book

Original explanations, tips and learning examples by DeutschLearner, with grammar facts checked against the references below. The A1–B2 labels guide study; they do not certify a proficiency level. Reading a chapter does not mark a topic as mastered. Existing exercises provide the translated examples; no source exercise bank or example sentences were copied.