Breakdown of Dasjenige, was das Programm anzeigt, ist sehr wichtig.
sein
to be
sehr
very
wichtig
important
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Programm
the program
was
which (referring to a whole clause)
dasjenige
the one (n)
anzeigen
to display
Questions & Answers about Dasjenige, was das Programm anzeigt, ist sehr wichtig.
Why use dasjenige here instead of just das?
Dasjenige is a demonstrative pronoun that means 'that one' or 'the thing.' It acts as a strong pointer to the relative clause that follows. While you could just say Das, was..., using Dasjenige puts a stronger emphasis on the fact that you are pinpointing a specific concept, and it often sounds slightly more formal.
Why is the relative pronoun was used in this sentence instead of das?
When a relative clause refers back to a general, abstract, or undefined neuter pronoun like alles (everything), etwas (something), nichts (nothing), or dasjenige (that which), German requires you to use was instead of das as the relative pronoun.
How do you know which ending to put on dasjenige?
This pronoun declines in two parts. The first half is the definite article (das, since we are referring to an abstract neuter concept). The second half (jenige) takes the exact same endings as an adjective following a definite article. Because it is the subject of the main clause, it is in the nominative case, resulting in das + jenige.
anzeigen is a separable verb. Why is it written as a single connected word (anzeigt) here?
This is because it is inside a subordinate relative clause (was das Programm anzeigt). In subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is pushed to the very end. When a separable verb is forced to the end of a clause like this, the prefix stays attached to the front of the main verb instead of splitting off.
Learn Dasjenige, was das Programm anzeigt, ist sehr wichtig 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