Formal relative clauses
In everyday Danish, prepositions usually sit at the very end of a relative clause. However, in highly formal written Danish—such as academic texts, genealogy (slægtsforskning), and historical archives—you will often see the preposition placed before the relative pronoun. This mirrors formal English structures like "in which" or "about whom."
When the preposition comes first, the relative pronoun depends on what you are referring to:
- Use hvilken (en words), hvilket (et words), or hvilke (plural words) for things, places, or concepts.
- Use hvem for people.
| We found the parish register in which the baptism is registered. | Vi fandt kirkebogen i hvilken dåben er registreret. |
| He read the document on which the entry is found. | Han læste dokumentet på hvilket optegnelsen findes. |
| The census shows the ancestor from whom she got the house. | Folketællingen viser forfaderen fra hvem hun fik huset. |
| We never found the ancestor about whom we read. | Vi fandt aldrig forfaderen om hvem vi læste. |
Standard clauses without prepositions
When a relative clause does not involve a preposition, standard relative pronouns like som or der are still used, even in elevated writing.
| It was the archivist who found the family tree. | Det var arkivaren som fandt stamtavlen. |
| In genealogy we also investigate the descendants who are living now. | I slægtsforskning undersøger vi også de efterkommere der lever nu. |
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