Breakdown of Der Computer, dessen Speicher voll war, konnte keine Datei mehr speichern.
sein
to be
können
could
der Computer
the computer
voll
full
dessen
whose
speichern
to save
der Speicher
the memory
keine
no
die Datei
the file
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Questions & Answers about Der Computer, dessen Speicher voll war, konnte keine Datei mehr speichern.
What is dessen and why is it used here?
Dessen is the genitive relative pronoun for masculine and neuter nouns. It corresponds to “whose” in English. Here it links the main noun der Computer to the subordinate clause by showing possession: “der Computer, dessen Speicher voll war” = “the computer whose memory was full.”
Why does the verb war appear at the end of dessen Speicher voll war?
In German relative (and other subordinate) clauses, the finite verb is kicked to the end. The typical order is […subject…] [other elements] [finite verb], so voll (adjective) stays before war (verb).
Why are commas used around dessen Speicher voll war?
Relative clauses are always set off by commas in German. They provide extra information about a noun without forming a separate sentence, and commas clearly mark their boundaries.
Why is Speicher in the genitive case here—even though its form looks the same as nominative?
Possession in German uses the genitive. The relative pronoun dessen signals that the clause is genitive, so Speicher is conceptually genitive. Singular masculine nouns often look unchanged in genitive when there’s no article or ending, but “dessen” marks the relationship.
What does keine Datei mehr mean, and why is mehr placed after Datei?
Keine Datei = “no file” (accusative direct object). Mehr here means “any longer” or “anymore.” Placing mehr after the object is the normal word order for “no … anymore,” so “keine Datei mehr speichern” = “to save no files anymore.”
Why is konnte used instead of kann?
The sentence is in the simple past (Präteritum) to describe a past situation. “Der Computer konnte keine Datei mehr speichern” = “The computer could not save any more files.” In present tense you’d say “kann.”
Could you replace dessen with dessen der or something with an article?
No. In genitive relative clauses you use the appropriate pronoun alone. Adding der, die, or das would be ungrammatical. You simply say “dessen” (masculine/neuter) or “deren” (feminine/plural).