Breakdown of Die Berater, denen wir vertrauen, haben ein großes Netzwerk.
ein
a, an (eine)
groß
big / tall
haben
to have
wir
we
vertrauen
to trust
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Berater
the consultant, advisor
das Netzwerk
the network
Questions & Answers about Die Berater, denen wir vertrauen, haben ein großes Netzwerk.
Why does this sentence use denen instead of die for "whom"?
The relative pronoun refers back to the plural noun Die Berater. Normally, the plural relative pronoun is die, but the verb vertrauen (to trust) always requires its object to be in the dative case. The dative plural relative pronoun is denen.
Isn't the dative plural word usually den? Why is it denen here?
You are thinking of the definite article (the word for "the"), which is indeed den in the dative plural. However, the dative plural relative pronoun (the word for "who" or "whom" linking the clauses) gets an extra -en, making it denen. This helps distinguish relative pronouns from regular articles.
The word Berater can be singular or plural. How do we know it means "the consultants" here?
You can spot the plural in a few ways. The main clause uses the plural article Die and the plural verb haben. Also, the relative pronoun denen is plural; if it were a single male consultant, it would be dem.
Why is vertrauen at the very end of the comma section?
The phrase denen wir vertrauen is a relative clause, which is a type of subordinate clause. In German, subordinate clauses always push their conjugated verb (in this case, vertrauen) to the very end of that clause.
Why does großes end in -es?
Netzwerk is a neuter noun (das Netzwerk). Because it comes after the indefinite article ein (which doesn't show the gender), the adjective has to do the heavy lifting. It takes the -es ending to show that the noun is neuter.
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