Relative Clauses WITH Prepositions

German relative clauses get one extra layer of complexity when a preposition is involved — but the fix is simple once you know it: the preposition always goes directly before the relative pronoun, never at the end like in English. Here's how to build these clauses correctly, with both accusative and dative prepositions.

A Quick Refresher: What Is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause adds extra information about a noun using a relative pronoun (der/die/das and its case forms), and — like any subordinate clause in German — it sends the conjugated verb to the end: Das ist der Mann, der neben mir wohnt. (That's the man who lives next to me.) The relative pronoun's case depends on its role inside the relative clause, not on the noun it refers back to.

The Golden Rule: Preposition Before the Pronoun

In English, we often end a sentence with the preposition ("the book I'm interested in"), but German never does this in a relative clause — the preposition has to sit directly in front of the relative pronoun: Das ist das Buch, an dem ich interessiert bin. (That's the book I'm interested in.) Notice how "an" comes immediately before "dem," never trailing at the end of the clause.

Relative Clauses With Dative Prepositions

When the verb or adjective in the relative clause requires a dative preposition, that preposition combines with the dative form of the relative pronoun: Das ist die Kollegin, mit der ich zusammenarbeite. (That's the colleague I work together with.) Das ist das Thema, von dem wir gesprochen haben. (That's the topic we talked about.)

Relative Clauses With Accusative Prepositions

The same principle applies with accusative prepositions, just using the accusative form of the relative pronoun instead: Das ist der Film, für den ich mich interessiere. (That's the movie I'm interested in.) Das ist das Projekt, an das ich viel Zeit investiert habe. (That's the project I've invested a lot of time into.)

Building the Sentence Structure Step by Step

To build one of these correctly: first identify which verb or adjective in the relative clause needs a preposition, then check what case that preposition requires, then pick the matching form of the relative pronoun (der/die/das/den/dem, etc.), and finally place the preposition directly before that pronoun. Getting the case of the pronoun right depends entirely on the preposition, not on the gender of the noun it refers back to.

Bonus Tip: The "Wo(r)-" Alternative for Things

When the antecedent is a thing (not a person), spoken German often swaps the preposition + relative pronoun combination for a "wo(r)-" compound instead, especially in casual conversation: Das ist das Buch, worüber wir gesprochen haben is a common alternative to Das ist das Buch, über das wir gesprochen haben. This "wo(r)-" version only works when referring to things, never to people — for people, you always need preposition + relative pronoun.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the preposition go in a German relative clause?

It always goes directly in front of the relative pronoun, never at the end of the clause like it often does in English.

How do I know which case the relative pronoun should be in?

The case is determined entirely by the preposition (or the verb) inside the relative clause, not by the gender or case of the noun it refers back to.

Can you give an example with a dative preposition?

"Das ist die Kollegin, mit der ich zusammenarbeite" (That's the colleague I work together with) — "mit" requires dative, so the pronoun is "der."

Can you give an example with an accusative preposition?

"Das ist der Film, für den ich mich interessiere" (That's the movie I'm interested in) — "für" requires accusative, so the pronoun is "den."

What is the "wo(r)-" alternative, and when can I use it?

It's a compound like "worüber" or "womit" that can replace preposition + relative pronoun when referring to things — but only to things, never to people.

This kind of sentence-building is at the heart of our B1 German Course, with real examples well beyond just memorizing the rule.