B1 Danish GrammarRelative Clauses
Connect ideas in Danish using relative pronouns der, som, and hvad with proper word order in subordinate clauses.
1Der and Som
'Der' and 'som' both mean 'who/that/which'. 'Der' is used as subject, 'som' can be subject or object.
Der vs Som
| Function | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | der/som | Manden, der/som bor her |
| Object | som | Bogen, som jeg læste |
| Object (omitted) | (som) | Bogen, jeg læste |
Examples
Manden, der bor her, er min nabo.
The man who lives here is my neighbor.
der as subject
Bogen, som jeg læste, var spændende.
The book that I read was exciting.
som as object
Kvinden, der taler, er læge.
The woman who is speaking is a doctor.
der for people
Filmen, jeg så i går, var god.
The movie I saw yesterday was good.
som omitted
2Word Order in Relative Clauses
In relative clauses, 'ikke' and adverbs come BEFORE the verb (ikke normal V2).
Adverb Position
| Main clause | Relative clause |
|---|---|
| Han kommer ikke | ...der ikke kommer |
| Han har aldrig set | ...der aldrig har set |
| Han kan godt lide | ...der godt kan lide |
Examples
Manden, der ikke taler dansk, er turist.
The man who doesn't speak Danish is a tourist.
ikke before verb
En person, der altid kommer til tiden.
A person who always arrives on time.
altid before verb
Noget, jeg aldrig har prøvet før.
Something I have never tried before.
aldrig before har
Folk, der godt kan lide kaffe.
People who like coffee.
godt before kan
3Hvad and Hvilket
'Hvad' introduces clauses about things. 'Hvilket' refers back to whole clauses.
Hvad/Hvilket Uses
| Pronoun | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hvad | thing/idea | Det, hvad du siger |
| hvilket | refers to clause | Han kom, hvilket glædede mig |
| alt hvad | everything that | Alt hvad du vil |
Examples
Det var ikke hvad jeg mente.
That was not what I meant.
hvad for things
Han vandt, hvilket overraskede alle.
He won, which surprised everyone.
hvilket for whole clause
Alt hvad du behøver.
Everything that you need.
alt hvad
Det, hvad han sagde, var sandt.
What he said was true.
det hvad
4Prepositions with Relatives
Prepositions typically come at the end of the relative clause in Danish.
Preposition Placement
| English | Danish |
|---|---|
| the house in which I live | huset, jeg bor i |
| the person I talked to | personen, jeg talte med |
| the thing I thought about | det, jeg tænkte på |
Examples
Huset, jeg bor i, er gammelt.
The house I live in is old.
preposition at end
Stolen, hun sidder på, er ny.
The chair she is sitting on is new.
på at end
Manden, jeg arbejder med, er sød.
The man I work with is nice.
med at end
Det, du taler om, er interessant.
What you're talking about is interesting.
om at end