Relative Clauses: die, dat, waar-
Betrekkelijke bijzinnen: die, dat, waar- • B1 • 12 kaarten
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Relative pronoun 'die' for masculine and feminine nouns
Use 'die' to refer back to singular masculine or feminine nouns, as well as all plural nouns.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
In Dutch, 'die' replaces the subject or direct object when the antecedent is a de-word (singular masculine/feminine) or any plural noun (de- or het-words). Like all subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb moves to the very end.
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Relative pronoun 'dat' for neuter singular nouns
Use 'dat' to refer back to singular neuter nouns (het-words).
📌 Grammaticanotitie
'dat' is used exclusively when the antecedent is a singular het-word. Just like with 'die', the finite verb in the relative clause is sent to the end of the clause.
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Verb position in relative clauses (V-End)
All conjugated verbs in a relative clause must be pushed to the very end.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
Relative clauses are subordinate clauses (bijzinnen). This means the standard Dutch word order principle changes: the conjugated verb does not take the second position, but moves to the end. If there is a past participle and an auxiliary verb, the auxiliary verb comes last.
Voorbeeld
Relative pronoun 'waar-' + preposition for things
Combine 'waar-' with a preposition (e.g., waarin, waarop) when referring to inanimate things.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
When the relative pronoun refers to a thing (not a person) and follows a preposition, Dutch uses 'waar-' + preposition instead of 'preposition + die/dat'. The preposition splits and attaches to 'waar'.
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Separable prepositions in waar- compounds
Separate the preposition from 'waar-' and send it to the end of the clause if needed.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
In modern spoken Dutch, many 'waar-' preposition compounds are split up: 'waar... bij', 'waar... over', 'waar... mee'. The 'waar' stays at the front of the relative clause, and the preposition moves to the end.
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Prepositions with people: preposition + wie
Use 'preposition + wie' when referring to people after a preposition.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
When the antecedent is a person (human) and follows a preposition, you cannot use 'waar-'. Instead, you use the preposition followed by 'wie' (e.g., met wie, voor wie, aan wie).
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Relative pronoun 'wat' for whole sentences and superlatives
Use 'wat' when referring to an entire preceding clause, or after indefinite pronouns and superlatives.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
'wat' is used as a relative pronoun when it refers back to an entire clause or idea (meaning 'which' or 'that' in English). It is also used after indefinite pronouns like 'alles', 'iets', 'niets', and after neuter superlative adjectives (e.g., 'het beste wat').
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Possessive relative meaning: wiens / diens / waarvan
Express 'whose' using 'wiens' (male person), 'diens' (formal male person), or 'waarvan' (things/general).
📌 Grammaticanotitie
To express possession in relative clauses ('whose'), use 'wiens' for male persons, 'wier' for female/plural persons (though increasingly rare in spoken Dutch), and 'waarvan' for things or non-specific nouns.
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Comma usage in relative clauses
Always place a comma before a relative clause in Dutch.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
Unlike English, where commas with relative clauses depend on whether the clause is restrictive or non-restrictive, Dutch punctuation rules dictate that a comma must precede every relative clause.
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Relative adverbs: waar (where / in which)
Use 'waar' as a relative adverb to refer to places.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
'waar' can function on its own as a relative adverb meaning 'where' when it refers to a physical or abstract location (equivalent to 'in which' or 'at which').
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Relative clauses with geographical names
Use 'waar' or 'die/dat' with cities and countries depending on the context.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
When referring to cities or countries, you can use 'waar' (if it means 'in that city/country') or a standard relative pronoun if the city is treated as a direct object or subject.
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Omission of relative pronouns (not allowed in Dutch)
Never omit relative pronouns in Dutch, unlike in English.
📌 Grammaticanotitie
In English, you can often drop the relative pronoun (e.g., 'The book I read'). In Dutch, the relative pronoun ('die', 'dat', 'waar') is mandatory and can never be omitted.
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