Breakdown of Die Dankbarkeit derer, die im Waisenhaus leben, ist groß.
sein
to be
groß
big / tall
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
leben
to live/reside (in a place)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
derer
of those (pointing forward)
die Dankbarkeit
the gratitude
das Waisenhaus
the orphanage
Questions & Answers about Die Dankbarkeit derer, die im Waisenhaus leben, ist groß.
Why do we use derer in this sentence instead of deren?
Both are genitive plural demonstrative pronouns meaning "of those", but they face different directions. You use derer when pointing forward to a relative clause that defines the people or things, like the die im Waisenhaus leben clause here. You use deren when referring backward to a noun you have already mentioned.
Could I say von denen instead of derer here?
Why does the main verb ist appear immediately after the comma?
The core of the main sentence is simply Die Dankbarkeit ist groß. The extended subject is the noun phrase Die Dankbarkeit derer, which occupies position one. The relative clause die im Waisenhaus leben is just an insertion describing derer. Once that insertion closes with a comma, the main clause resumes and must immediately place its verb ist in position two.
Why is im Waisenhaus in the dative case here?
The verb leben describes a static situation or location, not a movement toward a target. Because there is no direction or change of location, the two-way preposition in takes the dative case. im is the required contraction of in and the neuter dative article dem.
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