wonach

Wonach is a German relative pronoun and interrogative adverb formed from wo plus nach. It introduces relative clauses that refer to a thing, idea, or criterion mentioned earlier. In English, it corresponds to phrases like “what … for which” or “according to which.”

Wonach is used with verbs of seeking, asking, deciding, and evaluating, and in expressions that specify a basis or standard. It often answers questions of purpose, preference, or criteria: Das ist das, wonach er sucht (That is what he is looking for); Wonach sie fragt, ist unklar (What she asks about is unclear).

Grammar: Wonach is a fixed relative pronoun that does not change form. It refers to the antecedent in the main clause and occupies the position of a prepositional object governed by nach in the subordinate clause. Compared with other wo- compounds, such as wofür or wovon, wonach specifically expresses “after which” or “according to which.”

Examples:

- Das ist das, wonach er sucht.

- Wonach richtet sich diese Entscheidung?

- Ich frage mich, wonach du suchst.

Related forms include wofür, woran, wovon, woraus, woran, worauf, and wozu. They form part of the same family of wo- compounds used to link phrases to corresponding questions or relative clauses. Wonach is common in standard German and appears in both written and spoken language, conveying a sense of reference to a criterion, object, or basis for comparison.