Learn Hardcore German: An der Garderobe liegt ein Stapel Schals, die niemand abgeholt hat. - At the coat rack there is a pile of scarves that nobody picked up.

the dative for location (where something is): an der Garderobe = at the coat check.
the accusative for direction (movement to): an die Garderobe = to the coat check (e.g., bring something there).

Here it’s a static location, so dative: der Garderobe.

Why can’t I say am Garderobe?

Am is the contraction of an dem (an + dem), which is only possible with masculine or neuter nouns. Garderobe is feminine (die Garderobe), so you must use an der Garderobe, not am Garderobe.

Why does the verb come before the subject: An der Garderobe liegt ein Stapel Schals?

German is a V2 language: exactly one element can stand before the finite verb. The prepositional phrase An der Garderobe is put in first position for emphasis (location), so the verb liegt must be second, and the subject ein Stapel Schals follows. The neutral order is also possible: Ein Stapel Schals liegt an der Garderobe.

Why is it liegt (singular) and not liegen (plural)?

The grammatical subject is ein Stapel (a pile), which is singular, so the verb is singular: liegt. The word Schals belongs to the noun phrase headed by Stapel; it doesn’t determine verb agreement in the main clause.

What is the function of die after the comma?

It’s a relative pronoun introducing a relative clause: …, die niemand abgeholt hat. The clause describes the scarves and is attached to Schals.

Does die refer to Schals or to Stapel (or even to Garderobe)?

It refers to Schals (plural). We can tell because:

die here is the plural relative pronoun.
If it referred to der Stapel (masculine singular), you’d need der (nom.) or den (acc.).
If it referred to die Garderobe (feminine singular), the clause wouldn’t make sense semantically (a coat check isn’t something you pick up).

What case is the relative pronoun die in?

Accusative plural. Inside the relative clause, die is the direct object of abholen:

Main-clause test: Niemand hat die Schals abgeholt.
In the relative clause: …, die niemand abgeholt hat.

Why is it hat and not haben in the relative clause?

The verb agrees with the clause’s subject, niemand (no one), which is grammatically singular in German. Hence hat, not haben.

Why is it niemand and not niemanden?

niemand is nominative (subject). The accusative form niemanden is used only when it’s the object, e.g., Ich sehe niemanden. Here, niemand is the subject of hat.

Why is the word order abgeholt hat and not hat abgeholt in the relative clause?

Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, and in them the finite verb goes to the end. With the perfect tense, you get the participle + auxiliary at the end: abgeholt hat. In a main clause it would be V2: Niemand hat die Schals abgeholt.

What tense is hat abgeholt? Could I use the simple past?

It’s the present perfect (Perfekt), very common in spoken German for past events. You could use the simple past (Präteritum) in writing or certain styles: …, die niemand abholte. In everyday speech, hat abgeholt is more natural.

How is abgeholt formed, and why do we use haben?

abholen is a separable verb: ab + holen. For separable verbs, the ge goes between the prefix and the stem: ab-ge-holt. Transitive verbs like holen/abholen take haben as their auxiliary: hat abgeholt.

Why is there a comma before die?

German requires a comma before relative clauses. …, die niemand abgeholt hat must be set off with a comma.

Why is there no article before Schals in ein Stapel Schals?

This is a common “measure/quantity + noun” construction where the second noun appears as a bare genitive complement: ein Stapel Schals (literally “a pile of scarves”). You can also say ein Stapel von Schals, which is acceptable but often less concise.

What are the genders and plurals of the key nouns?

die Garderobe (feminine), “cloakroom/coat check/wardrobe”; plural die Garderoben.
der Stapel (masculine), “pile/stack”; plural die Stapel.
der Schal (masculine), “scarf”; plural die Schals.

Could I use bei der Garderobe instead of an der Garderobe?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

an der Garderobe = right at/at the counter or area.
bei der Garderobe = by/near the coat check (more loosely “near”). Both take dative when expressing location.

Why use liegen here? Could I use stehen or sein?

liegen describes something lying/resting horizontally or just being situated; it’s very common for items placed somewhere.
stehen suggests upright/standing objects; for a vertical Stapel, many speakers would also accept steht.
sein is neutral: An der Garderobe ist ein Stapel Schals. It’s fine but less vivid than posture verbs.

Can I say Es liegt an der Garderobe ein Stapel Schals?

Yes. Expletive es can fill the subject slot when the real subject comes later: Es liegt an der Garderobe ein Stapel Schals. In your original sentence, because a phrase is already fronted (An der Garderobe), no expletive is needed.

Why not Einen Stapel Schals liegt an der Garderobe?

Because with liegen the pile is the nominative subject, so it must be ein Stapel (nominative), not einen Stapel (accusative). If you used es gibt, then the pile would be an accusative object: Es gibt einen Stapel Schals an der Garderobe.

Could I say die keiner abgeholt hat instead of die niemand abgeholt hat?

Yes. keiner (no one) is a bit more colloquial/regional; niemand is neutral/standard. Both are singular and take hat.

When would the relative pronoun be denen instead of die?

When it’s dative plural. For example: …, mit denen niemand etwas anfangen kann (“with which no one can do anything”). In your sentence the pronoun is a direct object (accusative), so die is correct.

Do I need another negation with niemand?

No. German does not use double negation in standard usage. Niemand hat … abgeholt is correct; Niemand hat … nicht abgeholt would change or muddle the meaning.