Breakdown of Ich kenne einen Handwerker, dem wir diese Aufgabe geben können.
ich
I
ein
a, an (eine)
wir
we
kennen
to know (somebody/something)
geben
to give
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
können
can / to be able to
die Aufgabe
the task
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Handwerker
the craftsman, tradesman
Questions & Answers about Ich kenne einen Handwerker, dem wir diese Aufgabe geben können.
Why is the relative pronoun dem instead of den?
The relative pronoun dem refers back to the masculine noun Handwerker. Inside the relative clause, we are giving the task to the tradesman. The verb geben (to give) requires a dative object for the receiver, so the masculine relative pronoun must be in the dative case (dem).
Why does the main clause use einen Handwerker instead of ein Handwerker?
In the first part of the sentence (Ich kenne...), the tradesman is the direct object (the person you know). Masculine nouns take the accusative case when they are the direct object, so ein becomes einen. Notice how the case of the noun in the main clause (accusative) is different from the case of its relative pronoun dem (dative) in the second clause!
Why are the verbs geben können at the very end of the sentence?
A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause in German. That means the conjugated verb—in this case, the modal verb können—gets pushed to the very end of the sentence, landing right after the infinitive verb geben.
Why use kenne for "know" here instead of a form of wissen?
In German, wissen is used for knowing facts or information, while kennen is used for being familiar with a person, place, or thing. Since you are talking about knowing a person (a tradesman), you must use kennen.
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