Breakdown of Die Prinzessin, deren Verehrer reich sind, ist hochmütig.
sein
to be
reich
rich
deren
whose (f/pl)
der Verehrer
the admirer
die Prinzessin
the princess
hochmütig
haughty
Questions & Answers about Die Prinzessin, deren Verehrer reich sind, ist hochmütig.
Why is the relative pronoun deren used here instead of dessen?
In German, the genitive relative pronoun (meaning "whose") depends entirely on the gender and number of the noun it refers back to. Since it refers to die Prinzessin (feminine), we use deren. If it referred back to a masculine or neuter noun, such as der Prinz, it would be dessen.
If "her suitors" is ihre Verehrer, why doesn't deren change its ending to match the plural noun Verehrer?
Unlike possessive adjectives (like ihre or seine), the genitive relative pronouns dessen and deren are fixed. They never take adjective endings to match the noun that follows them. Their form is dictated only by the noun they point back to.
Why are there commas around deren Verehrer reich sind?
In German, all relative clauses must be separated from the main clause by commas. Unlike in English—where you can often drop commas if the clause is essential to defining the noun—German strictly requires a comma before the relative pronoun (deren) and after the final conjugated verb of the clause (sind).
Why is the verb ist immediately after the comma?
The relative clause (deren Verehrer reich sind) is just interrupting the main clause. If you pull it out, the core sentence is simply Die Prinzessin ist hochmütig. The verb ist is still functioning as the second structural element in the main clause, right after the subject.
How does the word hochmütig get its meaning?
It is a compound of hoch (high) and der Mut (which means "courage" today, but historically meant "state of mind" or "spirit"). Someone who is hochmütig has a "high mind" or thinks far too highly of themselves, which translates perfectly to "haughty" or "arrogant".
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