Der Autor, dessen Roman ich gerade ausleihe, schreibt sehr spannend.

The author whose novel I am borrowing right now writes very thrillingly.

Breakdown of Der Autor, dessen Roman ich gerade ausleihe, schreibt sehr spannend.

• ich: I
• sehr: very
• schreiben: to write
• gerade: right now

Questions & Answers about Der Autor, dessen Roman ich gerade ausleihe, schreibt sehr spannend.

What is the function of dessen in this sentence?

dessen is the genitive relative pronoun referring back to der Autor, indicating possession. It translates roughly as whose in English (“the author whose novel…”).

Why is dessen in the genitive case, and not in the nominative or accusative?

Because you are expressing a relationship of ownership (the novel of the author). In German, possession is shown by the genitive, so you need a genitive relative pronoun here.

Could you use deren instead of dessen?

No. deren is the genitive relative pronoun for feminine or plural antecedents. Since Autor is masculine, you must use dessen.

What noun does dessen refer to?

It refers directly to der Autor (masculine singular) from the main clause. So the full meaning is “the author whose novel...”.

Why is the finite verb ausleihe at the very end of the relative clause?