Breakdown of Das Kleinkind, auf das wir aufpassen, spielt mit dem Matsch im Sandkasten.
spielen
to play
wir
we
mit
with
auf
on / to (down/up to a level)
aufpassen
to pay attention
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Kleinkind
the toddler
der Matsch
the mud (mush, slush)
der Sandkasten
the sandbox
Questions & Answers about Das Kleinkind, auf das wir aufpassen, spielt mit dem Matsch im Sandkasten.
Why is the relative pronoun auf das here instead of just das?
The verb aufpassen (to look after / to watch) requires the preposition auf plus the accusative case. When a verb in a relative clause needs a preposition, that preposition must be placed directly in front of the relative pronoun. Since Kleinkind is neuter, the correct accusative pronoun is das, giving us auf das.
In English we say "the toddler we are looking after". Can I put the preposition at the end of the relative clause in German too?
No. Unlike in English, you can never leave a "dangling" preposition at the end of a clause in German. The preposition must always travel with its relative pronoun to the very beginning of the relative clause, which is why it is ..., auf das wir aufpassen.
Could I use sich kümmern um instead of aufpassen auf in this sentence?
Yes, you could completely restructure that clause to say ..., um das wir uns kümmern. However, aufpassen auf specifically means "to keep an eye on" or "to babysit," which is exactly the nuance you want when watching a toddler play. Sich kümmern um is a bit broader and translates more to "to take care of" or "to look after" in a general sense.
Just as a quick refresher: Why does the sentence use im Sandkasten (dative) rather than in den Sandkasten (accusative)?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Because the toddler is actively playing inside the sandbox (describing a fixed location) rather than moving into it from the outside (a change of location), we use the dative case to answer the question "where?" (wo?). in + dem contracts to im.
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