Breakdown of Das ist der Mechaniker, dem ich wirklich vertraue.
ich
I
sein
to be
vertrauen
to trust
wirklich
really
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Mechaniker
the mechanic
dem
whom / which (dative relative pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Das ist der Mechaniker, dem ich wirklich vertraue.
Why do we use dem here instead of den?
dem is a relative pronoun pointing back to der Mechaniker (a masculine noun). It has to be in the dative case because the verb in the relative clause, vertrauen (to trust), is a "dative verb" — it always requires its object to be in the dative case.
Why is the verb vertraue at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase dem ich wirklich vertraue is a relative clause, which adds more information about the mechanic. In German, relative clauses act like subordinate clauses, meaning they push the conjugated verb (vertraue) all the way to the end of the clause.
If dem means "whom", why does ich come right after it?
ich (I) is the subject doing the trusting, and dem (whom) is the object receiving the trust. In German relative clauses, the relative pronoun must come first to connect the two parts of the sentence, and the subject usually follows right behind it.
Could I say "Das ist der Mechaniker, ich vertraue dem wirklich"?
Not as a single sentence. You could split it into two: Das ist der Mechaniker. Ich vertraue ihm wirklich. (That is the mechanic. I really trust him.) But to link them smoothly into one sentence using a relative clause, you must use a comma, start with the relative pronoun dem, and move the verb to the end.
Learn Das ist der Mechaniker, dem ich wirklich vertraue and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free