Relative Clauses with Prepositions
In English, we often end a relative clause with a preposition, or drop it entirely (e.g., "the man I am waiting for" or "the man I am dating"). In Dutch, when a relative clause describes a person and requires a preposition, you must place the preposition directly before wie (who/whom).
The structure is: [Person] + [Preposition] + wie + [Subject] + ... + [Verb(s)].
Met wie (With whom)
Some Dutch verbs use the preposition met (with), such as daten (to date) and knuffelen (to cuddle). Notice how "the man I am dating" translates literally to "the man with whom I date".
| The man I am dating is very charming. | De man met wie ik date, is heel charmant. |
| The darling I am cuddling with on the couch is very sweet. | De schat met wie ik op de bank knuffel, is erg lief. |
Aan wie (To / of whom)
Use aan wie when the verb pairs with the preposition aan. This is common with verbs that involve giving something to someone (geven aan) or thinking of someone (denken aan).
| The boy I give my heart to is my great love. | De jongen aan wie ik mijn hart geef, is mijn grote liefde. |
| The ex of whom I am thinking is breaking my heart. | De ex aan wie ik denk, breekt mijn hart. |
Op wie and Over wie
Other common fixed prepositions include op (used with wachten, to wait, and verliefd zijn, to be in love) and over (used with klagen, to complain).
Because a relative clause is a type of subordinate clause, always remember that the verbs within the relative clause are pushed to the end, right before the comma.
| The colleague he is in love with is attractive and has a good character. | De collega op wie hij verliefd is, is aantrekkelijk en heeft een goed karakter. |
| The ex she is complaining about has a bad character. | De ex over wie ze klaagt, heeft een slecht karakter. |
