Breakdown of Wir suchen zuverlässige Mechaniker, denen wir vertrauen können.
wir
we
suchen
to look for
können
can / to be able to
vertrauen
to trust
zuverlässig
reliable
der Mechaniker
the mechanic
dem
whom / which (dative relative pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Wir suchen zuverlässige Mechaniker, denen wir vertrauen können.
Why is the relative pronoun denen used here instead of die?
denen is the plural dative relative pronoun. It refers back to the plural noun Mechaniker. We have to use the dative case here because the verb vertrauen (to trust) always requires a dative object in German. Even though the mechanics are the direct object in the first half of the sentence, their role in the second half is being trusted, so they take the dative.
Why are both verbs (vertrauen können) at the very end of the sentence?
A relative clause (the part starting with denen) always pushes the conjugated verb to the very end. Here, the conjugated verb is the modal verb können. The other verb, vertrauen, stays in its infinitive (dictionary) form and sits right before the conjugated verb, giving us the order vertrauen können.
Why is the adjective ending zuverlässige and not zuverlässigen?
Because there is no article (like die or keine) in front of it. Mechaniker is plural and in the accusative case (it's the object we are looking for). When an adjective stands completely alone before a plural noun in the accusative case, it takes the strong ending -e.
How do we know Mechaniker is plural here? It looks just like the singular word.
You are right, the singular (der Mechaniker) and plural (die Mechaniker) look exactly the same! This is very common for masculine nouns ending in -er. We know it is plural in this sentence because of the plural adjective ending (zuverlässige) and the plural relative pronoun (denen) that follows it.
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