Breakdown of Wo ist der Kopfhörer, ohne den ich nichts höre?
ich
I
sein
to be
wo
where
hören
to hear / to listen
ohne
without
nichts
nothing
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Kopfhörer
the headphone
den
which (accusative)
Questions & Answers about Wo ist der Kopfhörer, ohne den ich nichts höre?
Why does the German sentence use "ist der Kopfhörer" (singular) when the English translation says "are the headphones" (plural)?
In English, "headphones" is a plural word, much like "glasses" or "pants". In German, a single headset is treated as singular: der Kopfhörer. You would only use the plural (die Kopfhörer) if you were talking about multiple pairs of headphones.
Why do we use "ohne den" here?
The relative clause needs the preposition ohne (without) to connect to the headphones. Because ohne always requires the accusative case, and it refers back to the masculine noun der Kopfhörer, the relative pronoun must be the masculine accusative den.
Could I put "ohne" at the end of the sentence, just like the word "without" in the English translation?
No. In English, it is common to leave a preposition "dangling" at the end of a clause (e.g., the headphones I hear nothing without). In German, the preposition must always stay right in front of its relative pronoun at the beginning of the relative clause, which is why they are kept together as ohne den.
Why is the verb "höre" at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase ohne den ich nichts höre is a relative clause. Relative clauses are a type of subordinate clause, and the golden rule for these in German is that the conjugated verb (höre) is always kicked to the very end of the clause.
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