German · B1 · Everyday language
Which One Exactly in German
Use shared school memories to identify exactly which person or thing your child means. German relative clauses add identifying details, such as who bought a backpack or wore a pair of shoes.
What you'll learn
- Use den, die and das as direct-object relative pronouns.
- Choose the relative pronoun using the noun’s gender and number.
- Keep a separate subject in the relative clause and put the conjugated verb at the end.
- Ask about familiar people and belongings using shared memories.
German phrases for which one exactly
Ist das der Rucksack, den wir zusammen gekauft haben?
Is that the backpack that we bought together?
Rucksack is masculine. Den is the object of gekauft haben; wir is the subject.
Hier ist der Bleistift, den du deinem Freund geliehen hast.
Here is the pencil that you lent to your friend.
Den refers to the masculine Bleistift. Deinem Freund is dative: the friend receives the pencil. For a female friend, use deiner Freundin.
Ist das die Brotdose, die du in der Schule liegen gelassen hast?
Is this the lunchbox that you left at school?
Brotdose is feminine, so use die. Liegen lassen means to leave something behind.
Das ist der Lehrer, den wir im Sportverein getroffen haben.
That's the teacher whom we met at the sports club.
Den refers to a male teacher. For a female teacher, say: Das ist die Lehrerin, die wir im Sportverein getroffen haben.
Wo ist das Buch, das wir gestern Abend gelesen haben?
Where is the book that we read last night?
Buch is neuter, so use das. Gestern Abend means yesterday evening, a natural choice for recalling evening reading.
Das ist das Bild, das du für Oma gemalt hast.
This is the picture that you painted for Grandma.
Das refers to the neuter Bild. Du is the subject, and hast comes last.
Sind das die Schuhe, die du beim Fußball getragen hast?
Are these the shoes that you wore for football?
Schuhe is plural, so use die. Beim Fußball means while playing football here.
Das sind die Kinder, die wir zu deiner Geburtstagsfeier eingeladen haben.
Those are the children whom we invited to your birthday party.
Die refers to the plural Kinder. Wir is the subject: we invited the children.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
der Rucksack
backpack
Plural: die Rucksäcke.
der Bleistift
pencil
Plural: die Bleistifte.
die Brotdose
lunchbox
A box for a packed lunch or snacks. Plural: die Brotdosen.
der Sportverein
sports club
Im Sportverein means at the sports club.
leihen
to lend; to borrow
Here, du hast deinem Freund den Bleistift geliehen means you lent your friend the pencil.
liegen lassen
to leave behind
Used for something left in a place: in der Schule liegen gelassen.
tragen
to wear; to carry
With shoes or clothing, it means to wear. Past participle: getragen.
einladen
to invite
Use jemanden zu etwas einladen for inviting someone to an event. Past participle: eingeladen.
Choosing the accusative relative pronoun
The relative pronoun refers back to a noun. That noun determines its gender and number. Its role inside the relative clause determines its case. In these phrases, it is the direct object, so use the accusative.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | den | der Rucksack, den wir zusammen gekauft haben |
| Feminine singular | die | die Brotdose, die du in der Schule liegen gelassen hast |
| Neuter singular | das | das Buch, das wir gestern Abend gelesen haben |
| Plural: all genders | die | die Kinder, die wir zu deiner Geburtstagsfeier eingeladen haben |
Object pronoun, separate subject
Ask who did the action. In den wir gekauft haben, wir did the buying; den represents the thing bought. Even if the noun is the subject of the main clause, its relative pronoun can be the object of the relative clause.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject: who acted? | wir / du | Das ist der Lehrer, den wir im Sportverein getroffen haben. |
| Direct object: whom or what? | den / die / das | Hier ist der Bleistift, den du deinem Freund geliehen hast. |
Comma and verb-final word order
Separate the relative clause with a comma. Start it with the relative pronoun and put the conjugated verb at the end. These memories use the perfect tense: the past participle comes before the final haben or hast. Unlike English, German does not allow you to leave out the relative pronoun.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pattern | noun + comma + relative pronoun + subject + other details + participle + conjugated verb | das Bild, das du für Oma gemalt hast |
| With wir | relative pronoun + wir + … + participle + haben | das Buch, das wir gestern Abend gelesen haben |
| With du | relative pronoun + du + … + participle + hast | die Schuhe, die du beim Fußball getragen hast |
More examples
Ist das der Rucksack, den wir zusammen gekauft haben?
Is that the backpack that we bought together?
Identify the backpack through a shared shopping memory: den is the object, wir is the subject.
Ist das die Brotdose, die du in der Schule liegen gelassen hast?
Is this the lunchbox that you left at school?
Identify the lunchbox through a remembered event: feminine die, with hast at the end.
Das ist das Bild, das du für Oma gemalt hast.
This is the picture that you painted for Grandma.
Identify the picture by its intended recipient: neuter das, with du as the subject.
Das sind die Kinder, die wir zu deiner Geburtstagsfeier eingeladen haben.
Those are the children whom we invited to your birthday party.
Identify the children through a shared celebration: plural die, with wir as the subject.