B2-23 · Use relative clauses with wer and was
Consumer society
Build general statements about people with wer, wen and wem, and refer to things or whole statements with was.
About 5 minutes to read · 13 quiz questions
01
Whoever buys less
A free relative clause with wer can mean whoever or anyone who. It does not need a noun before it. Wer is the subject within its clause and takes a singular verb. A main clause can resume it with der.
Wer weniger kauft, braucht weniger Stauraum.
Whoever buys less needs less storage space.
Wer Dinge repariert, kann sie länger nutzen.
Anyone who repairs things can use them longer.
Wer bewusst einkauft, der vergleicht Angebote.
Anyone who shops consciously compares offers.
Wer genug besitzt, braucht nicht automatisch mehr.
Anyone who owns enough does not automatically need more.
In this fictional discussion about minimalism, people compare habits rather than give universal rules. The relative clause's finite verb comes last: Wer weniger kauft, ... .
02
The case comes from the relative clause
Use wen when the person is the direct object inside the relative clause. Use wem when a verb there requires dative. The pronoun in the main clause gets its own case independently.
Wen die Werbung überzeugt, der kauft vielleicht etwas.
Anyone whom the advertising convinces may buy something.
Wem Besitz wichtig ist, der bewertet Minimalismus vielleicht anders.
Anyone to whom possessions matter may view minimalism differently.
Wen hohe Preise abschrecken, der sucht nach Alternativen.
Anyone whom high prices deter looks for alternatives.
Wem die Beraterin hilft, der versteht das Angebot besser.
Anyone whom the adviser helps understands the offer better.
Wen die Werbung überzeugt, der kauft vielleicht etwas. Werbung is the subject of überzeugt; wen is its object. Wem Besitz wichtig ist, der ... uses dative wem in the expression jemandem wichtig sein.
03
What and everything that
Was can introduce a free relative clause about things. It also follows words such as alles, etwas and nichts. After a complete statement, was can refer back to that whole idea.
Alles, was Eva besitzt, passt in zwei Kisten.
Everything Eva owns fits into two boxes.
Ich kaufe nur das, was ich brauche.
I only buy what I need.
Eva hat weniger Ausgaben, was sie freut.
Eva has fewer expenses, which pleases her.
Nichts, was im Schrank liegt, ist neu.
Nothing lying in the cupboard is new.
Das, was ich brauche refers to the things I need. Eva kauft weniger, was sie freut refers to the fact that she buys less. Do not use a gendered noun relative pronoun after alles in these examples.
Ready to try it?
Check what you remember with 13 short questions.
Loading quiz…