Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'was' as a relative pronoun when referring to indefinite pronouns like 'alles', 'nichts', or entire clauses.
- Use 'was' after indefinite pronouns: 'Alles, was ich weiß, ist wahr.'
- Use 'was' after superlatives (neut. sing.): 'Das Beste, was mir passierte.'
- Use 'was' when the relative clause refers to a whole sentence: 'Er kam zu spät, was mich ärgerte.'
Overview
das를 써야 할지 was를 써야 할지 막막해서 멈칫했던 적은? 만약 지금까지 모든 것에 das만 쓰고 있었다면, 할 말이 좀 있어.was가 네 절친이 되어줄 거야. 이건 특정 명사로 콕 집어 말할 수 없는 모호하고, 거대하고, 복잡한 상황들을 다뤄주거든.was가 질문할 때만 쓰이는 줄 알아. 아냐.How This Grammar Works
der Mann, der... 또는 die Frau, die... 처럼 말이야.der, die, das는 쓸 수 없어.was는 달라. 이건 부정(indefinite) 대명사야.Alles, was ich will, ist Schlaf 같은 문장에서 was는 특정 das Bett를 가리키는 게 아냐.was에는 멋진 초능력이 있는데, 앞 문장 전체를 되돌아보면서 «그래, 방금 말한 그 상황 전체? 내가 말하는 게 바로 그거야»라고 할 수 있어.
Formation Pattern
alles, etwas, nichts, vieles, weniges 같은 부정 대명사야.
das Beste나 das Schönste처럼 명사로 쓰인 중성 최상급을 가리키는지 확인해 봐.
was야.
was를 둬.
wessen을 쓰겠지만, 솔직히 구어체 독일어에서는 너무 드물어서 불날 수도 있어(거의 안 쓴다는 뜻).
was를 쓰지 마. worauf 같은 wo- 복합어로 바꿔.
When To Use It
was가 필수인 네 가지 주요 상황이 있어. 첫째, 부정 대명사 뒤. alles (모든 것), nichts (아무것도 없는 것), etwas (무언가), vieles (많은 것), weniges (적은 것)으로 생각을 시작한다면, was가 유일한 선택이야.Nichts, was du sagst, wird mich umstimmen (네가 무슨 말을 해도 내 마음은 안 변해). 둘째, 명사화된 중성 최상급 뒤. 말이 좀 어려운데 그냥 das Beste, das Neueste, das Einzige 같은 단어들이라고 생각하면 돼.Das ist das Beste, was mir je passiert ist. 셋째, 지시대명사 das 뒤 («~하는 그것»을 의미할 때). Das, was ich meine, ist... 마지막으로, 이게 C1에서 가장 선호하는 건데, 앞 문장 전체를 가리킬 때 써. Er hat mich gestern nicht angerufen, was mich sehr geärgert hat. 여기서 was는 전화기나 그 남자를 가리키는 게 아냐.
Common Mistakes
alles 뒤에 das를 쓰는 거야. alles 뒤에는 왠지 das가 와야 할 것 같아서 정말 유혹적이지. *✗ Alles, das ich brauche...* 안 돼! 멈춰. 이건 로봇이 독일어 하려는 것처럼 들려. 무조건 *✓ Alles, was ich brauche...*여야 해. 또 흔한 실수는 실제 특정 명사가 있는데 was를 쓰는 거야. 만약 das Auto, was ich gekauft habe,라고 하면, 넌 기본적으로 네 차를 «모호한 개념»이라고 부르는 셈이야. 명사엔 das, 불확실한 것엔 was를 써. 그리고 전치사도 조심해. Alles, über was wir gesprochen haben이라고는 못 해. 아주 캐주얼한 길거리 독일어에서는 들을 수도 있겠지만, C1 시험이나 면접에서는 wo- 복합어를 써야 해: Alles, worüber wir gesprochen haben. was는 전치사 알레르기가 좀 있다고 생각하면 돼. 사촌인 wo-에게 일을 넘기는 걸 선호하거든. 마지막으로, 콤마 잊지 마. 독일어는 게이머가 에너지 드링크 좋아하듯 콤마를 좋아해. 콤마 없인 파티도 없어.Contrast With Similar Patterns
was랑 das 중에 뭘 쓸지 어떻게 알아? 다 대상이 뭐냐에 달렸어. 대상이 성별이 있는 특정 명사라면—das Buch처럼 중성이라도—das를 써.das Buch, das ich lese. 대상이 개념, 수량, 또는 문장 전체라면 was를 써. Das Beste, was ich gelesen habe. 차이가 보여? 첫 번째는 물리적인 사물을 가리키고, 두 번째는 최고라는 *속성*을 가리켜.was 대 wer야. wer는 불특정 사람(«오고 싶은 사람은 누구든...»), 반면에 was는 불특정 사물이나 아이디어야. 그리고 das 뒤에 오는 das 대 was가 있어.Das, was du machst,라고 하면 행동에 초점을 맞추는 거야. 만약 그냥 Das, das du machst,라고 하면, 사람들은 네 매트릭스에 오류라도 난 것처럼 쳐다볼걸. 추상적인 것엔 was를 고수해.Quick FAQ
Can I use was to refer to a person?
절대 안 돼! 불특정 사람은 wer, 특정 사람은 der/die/das를 써. was는 철저하게 사물, 개념, 상황을 위한 거야.
Is was ever used for the Dative case?
엄밀히 말하면 was는 3격(Dative) 형태가 없어. 만약 alles 뒤에 3격이 필요하면 보통 dem을 써.
Alles, dem ich zugestimmt habe... 하지만 보통은 Alles, womit ich einverstanden bin처럼 wo- 복합어를 선호해.
Is it okay to use was instead of das in casual speech?
방언이나 아주 격식 없는 대화에서는 많이 들릴 거야 (예:
Die Frau, was da drüben steht). 하지만 문법적으로는 틀린 거야. C1 레벨에서는 피하는 게 좋아. 작은 시골 마을에서 40년 산 것처럼 보이고 싶은 게 아니라면 말이야.
Why do I need this at C1?
C1은 뉘앙스 싸움이거든. was를 정확히 쓴다는 건 단순히 «주어-동사-목적어»를 넘어 추상적인 개념과 복잡한 문장 구조를 다룰 수 있다는 걸 보여주는 거야.
Usage of 'was' as a Relative Pronoun
| Antecedent Type | Relative Pronoun | Verb Position |
|---|---|---|
|
Indefinite Pronoun (alles, nichts)
|
was
|
End of clause
|
|
Superlative (das Beste)
|
was
|
End of clause
|
|
Whole Clause
|
was
|
End of clause
|
|
Neutral Pronoun (etwas, vieles)
|
was
|
End of clause
|
|
Ordinal number (das Erste)
|
was
|
End of clause
|
Meanings
The relative pronoun 'was' serves to introduce relative clauses that do not refer to a specific noun, but to an indefinite concept or an entire preceding statement.
Indefinite Pronoun Reference
Referring to words like 'alles', 'nichts', 'etwas', 'vieles'.
“Nichts, was er sagte, war gelogen.”
“Alles, was ich brauche, ist Liebe.”
Superlative Reference
Referring to an adjective in the superlative degree.
“Das Schönste, was ich je gesehen habe.”
“Das Beste, was uns passieren konnte.”
Whole Clause Reference
Referring to the entire content of the preceding main clause.
“Er hat die Prüfung bestanden, was mich sehr freut.”
“Sie kam nicht zur Arbeit, was alle überraschte.”
Reference Table
| 선행사의 종류 | 선행사 예시 | 관계대명사 | 사용 시나리오 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
불확실한 대명사
|
alles, nichts, etwas
|
was
|
일반적인 진술
|
|
중성 최상급
|
das Beste, das Schönste
|
was
|
극단적인 표현
|
|
문장 전체
|
(완전한 아이디어), ...
|
was
|
상황에 대한 언급
|
|
지시 대명사
|
das (그것)
|
was
|
특정 개념 정의
|
|
수량 대명사
|
vieles, weniges
|
was
|
막연한 양
|
|
서수 (중성)
|
das Erste, das Letzte
|
was
|
개념 순서화
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Alles, was er sagt, entspricht der Wahrheit. (Discussing honesty)
Alles, was er sagt, ist wahr. (Discussing honesty)
Alles, was er so labert, stimmt. (Discussing honesty)
Alles, was er quatscht, ist wahr. (Discussing honesty)
관계대명사 'was'는 언제 사용할까요?
불확실한 대명사
- alles everything
- nichts nothing
- etwas something
최상급
- das Beste the best
- das Einzige the only thing
'das' vs. 'was' 비교
올바른 대명사 선택 흐름도
선행사가 특정 명사인가요?
alles, nichts, 또는 최상급인가요?
'was'를 유발하는 요소들
대명사
- • alles
- • etwas
- • nichts
- • vieles
최상급
- • das Schönste
- • das Beste
- • das Letzte
수준별 예문
Alles, was ich habe.
Everything that I have.
Nichts, was ich mag.
Nothing that I like.
Das ist, was ich will.
That is what I want.
Alles, was gut ist.
Everything that is good.
Gibt es etwas, was ich tun kann?
Is there something that I can do?
Das Beste, was ich kenne.
The best that I know.
Er sagt alles, was er denkt.
He says everything that he thinks.
Ich weiß nicht, was er meint.
I don't know what he means.
Er kam zu spät, was mich ärgerte.
He arrived late, which annoyed me.
Sie hat gewonnen, was alle freute.
She won, which pleased everyone.
Das ist das Einzige, was zählt.
That is the only thing that counts.
Er lügt, was ich nicht mag.
He lies, which I don't like.
Das Schlimmste, was passieren konnte, geschah.
The worst that could happen, happened.
Er vergaß den Termin, was ein Problem war.
He forgot the appointment, which was a problem.
Alles, was wir besprochen haben, ist wichtig.
Everything we discussed is important.
Das ist alles, was ich dazu sagen kann.
That is all I can say about that.
Die Firma wurde verkauft, was weitreichende Folgen hatte.
The company was sold, which had far-reaching consequences.
Er behauptete, er sei krank, was sich als falsch herausstellte.
He claimed he was sick, which turned out to be false.
Das Beste, was man in dieser Lage tun kann, ist abwarten.
The best one can do in this situation is wait.
Alles, was von Bedeutung ist, steht im Bericht.
Everything of importance is in the report.
Er ignorierte die Warnungen, was letztlich zu seinem Untergang führte.
He ignored the warnings, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Das ist das Einzige, was mich an diesem Vorschlag stört.
That is the only thing that bothers me about this proposal.
Was er auch tat, es war nie genug.
Whatever he did, it was never enough.
Er hat das Budget gekürzt, was die Abteilung vor große Herausforderungen stellt.
He cut the budget, which poses great challenges for the department.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners use 'was' for all relative clauses.
자주 하는 실수
Das Buch, was ich lese.
Das Buch, das ich lese.
Alles, das ich weiß.
Alles, was ich weiß.
Er kam spät, das mich ärgerte.
Er kam spät, was mich ärgerte.
Das Beste, das ich je sah.
Das Beste, was ich je sah.
문장 패턴
Alles, ___ ich brauche, ist ___.
Real World Usage
Alles, was ich heute erlebt habe, war toll!
Das ist alles, was ich dazu sagen kann.
Alles, was du willst.
Das Beste, was man hier machen kann, ist wandern.
Alles, was ich bestellt habe, war kalt.
Dies ist alles, was in der Studie untersucht wurde.
'Alles-Das' 함정에 빠지지 마세요!
Alles, das...라고 절대로 말하면 안 돼요. 'Alles' 뒤에는 무조건 'was'가 와야 하거든요. 마치 «1 더하기 1은 2»처럼 당연한 규칙이에요: Alles, was...문장 전체에 내 의견을 더하고 싶을 때!
Es regnet, was mir egal ist.
캐주얼한 대화 vs. 공식적인 상황
Das Buch, das ich suche.
Smart Tips
Use 'was' immediately.
Use 'was' to summarize the whole situation.
Always use 'was'.
Check if there is a noun. If not, use 'was'.
발음
Stress
The word 'was' is usually unstressed in a relative clause.
Rising-Falling
Alles, was ich weiß, ↗ ist wahr ↘.
Standard declarative statement.
암기하기
기억법
Was is the 'Wildcard'—use it when you don't have a specific noun to point to.
시각적 연상
Imagine a giant '?' box. Since you don't know what's inside, you use 'was' to describe the mystery box.
Rhyme
If the noun is not there, 'was' is the one to share.
Story
I bought everything (alles). I didn't like anything (nichts). The best thing (das Beste) was the cake. Everything that happened, which (was) was great, made me happy.
Word Web
챌린지
Write 3 sentences today using 'was' to comment on things you did.
문화 노트
Germans value precision; using 'was' correctly shows you understand the difference between specific objects and abstract concepts.
Derived from the interrogative pronoun 'was'.
대화 시작하기
Was ist das Beste, was du heute erlebt hast?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
Gibt es etwas, ___ ich für dich tun kann?
Find and fix the mistake:
Alles, das ich auf Amazon bestellt habe, kam zu spät an.
Choose the best sentence:
Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercisesAlles, ___ ich weiß, ist wahr.
Das Auto, ___ ich fahre, ist neu.
Find and fix the mistake:
Das Haus, was ich kaufte, ist groß.
Er kam spät / was / mich / ärgerte.
The best that I can do.
Alles, was ich habe.
Das Schlimmste, ___ passieren konnte, ist passiert.
Er hat gelogen, ___ mich sehr enttäuscht hat.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesDas ist das Schönste, ___ ich je gesehen habe.
was / Nichts, / ist / er / wahr / sagt, / .
Everything that you do is important.
Das ist das Einzige, das zählt.
Which one is correct?
Match the phrases:
Das, ___ du da isst, sieht lecker aus.
Identify the commentary clause:
Wenig, das er sagte, war neu.
He is late, which is normal.
Score: /10
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No, never. Use 'der' or 'die'.
Yes, it introduces the relative clause.
No, it remains 'was'.
Yes, 'etwas' is an indefinite pronoun.
Because it's a relative clause, which is a subordinate clause.
The relative pronoun must match the noun.
Yes, very frequently.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
that/which
German requires 'was' for abstract concepts, English uses 'that'.
lo que
None, they function almost identically.
ce que
None, they function almost identically.
koto
Japanese structure is entirely different (SOV).
ma
Arabic is a Semitic language with different syntax.
suo
Chinese does not have the same relative clause structure.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
관련 동영상
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