Difference between revisions of "Language/German/Grammar/Possessive-Pronouns"

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◀️ Personal Pronouns — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Booking a Trip ▶️

German → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Pronouns and Possessives → Possessive Pronouns

In this lesson, we will dive into the concept of possessive pronouns in German. Possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership or possession of an object or person. They replace a noun and agree with the gender and case of the noun they replace. Understanding how to use possessive pronouns correctly is essential for building more complex sentences and expressing ownership in German.

Possessive Pronouns in German[edit | edit source]

Possessive pronouns in German are used to express possession or ownership. They are similar to possessive adjectives, but they replace the noun rather than precede it. Possessive pronouns must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they replace. Let's take a look at the different forms of possessive pronouns in German:

Possessive Pronouns for Masculine Nouns[edit | edit source]

When replacing a masculine noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:

German	Pronunciation	English
mein	mīn	my
dein	dīn	your (singular informal)
sein	zaɪn	his
ihr	iːɐ̯	her
unser	ˈʊnzɐ	our
euer	ˈɔʏ̯ɐ	your (plural informal)
ihr	iːɐ̯	their

Possessive Pronouns for Feminine Nouns[edit | edit source]

When replacing a feminine noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:

German	Pronunciation	English
meine	ˈmaɪ̯nə	my
deine	ˈdaɪ̯nə	your (singular informal)
seine	ˈzaɪ̯nə	his
ihre	ˈiːʀə	her
unsere	ˈʊnzəʀə	our
eure	ˈɔʏ̯ʀə	your (plural informal)
ihre	ˈiːʀə	their

Possessive Pronouns for Neuter Nouns[edit | edit source]

When replacing a neuter noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:

German	Pronunciation	English
mein	mīn	my
dein	dīn	your (singular informal)
sein	zaɪn	his
ihr	iːɐ̯	her
unser	ˈʊnzɐ	our
euer	ˈɔʏ̯ɐ	your (plural informal)
ihr	iːɐ̯	their

Possessive Pronouns for Plural Nouns[edit | edit source]

When replacing a plural noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:

German	Pronunciation	English
meine	ˈmaɪ̯nə	my
deine	ˈdaɪ̯nə	your (singular informal)
seine	ˈzaɪ̯nə	his
ihre	ˈiːʀə	her
unsere	ˈʊnzəʀə	our
eure	ˈɔʏ̯ʀə	your (plural informal)
ihre	ˈiːʀə	their

Possessive Pronouns in Different Cases[edit | edit source]

Possessive pronouns in German also change depending on the case they are used in. Let's take a look at the different forms of possessive pronouns in different cases:

Nominative Case[edit | edit source]

In the nominative case, possessive pronouns are used when the noun is the subject of the sentence. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the nominative case:

German	Pronunciation	English
meiner	ˈmaɪ̯nɐ	mine
deiner	ˈdaɪ̯nɐ	yours (singular informal)
seiner	ˈzaɪ̯nɐ	his
ihrer	ˈiːʀɐ	hers
unser	ˈʊnzɐ	ours
eurer	ˈɔʏ̯ʀɐ	yours (plural informal)
ihrer	ˈiːʀɐ	theirs

Accusative Case[edit | edit source]

In the accusative case, possessive pronouns are used when the noun is the direct object of the sentence. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the accusative case:

German	Pronunciation	English
meinen	ˈmaɪ̯nən	mine
deinen	ˈdaɪ̯nən	yours (singular informal)
seinen	ˈzaɪ̯nən	his
ihre	ˈiːʀə	hers
unseren	ˈʊnzəʀən	ours
euren	ˈɔʏ̯ʀən	yours (plural informal)
ihre	ˈiːʀə	theirs

Dative Case[edit | edit source]

In the dative case, possessive pronouns are used when the noun is the indirect object of the sentence. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the dative case:

German	Pronunciation	English
meinem	ˈmaɪ̯nəm	mine
deinem	ˈdaɪ̯nəm	yours (singular informal)
seinem	ˈzaɪ̯nəm	his
ihrem	ˈiːʀəm	hers
unserem	ˈʊnzəʀəm	ours
eurem	ˈɔʏ̯ʀəm	yours (plural informal)
ihrem	ˈiːʀəm	theirs

Genitive Case[edit | edit source]

In the genitive case, possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the genitive case:

German	Pronunciation	English
meines	ˈmaɪ̯nəs	mine
deines	ˈdaɪ̯nəs	yours (singular informal)
seines	ˈzaɪ̯nəs	his
ihrer	ˈiːʀɐ	hers
unseres	ˈʊnzəʀəs	ours
eures	ˈɔʏ̯ʀəs	yours (plural informal)
ihrer	ˈiːʀɐ	theirs

Using Possessive Pronouns in Sentences[edit | edit source]

Now that we have learned the different forms of possessive pronouns in German, let's practice using them in sentences. Here are a few examples:

Example Sentences[edit | edit source]

Das ist **mein** Buch. (This is my book.)
Wo ist **deine** Tasche? (Where is your bag?)
Ich habe **seinen** Hund gesehen. (I saw his dog.)
**Ihre** Katze ist sehr süß. (Her cat is very cute.)
Das sind **unsere** Kinder. (These are our children.)
Wo sind **eure** Schlüssel? (Where are your keys?)
Das ist **ihr** Auto. (That is their car.)

In these examples, the possessive pronouns agree with the gender, number, and case of the nouns they replace. It's important to pay attention to these agreements when using possessive pronouns in German.

Conclusion[edit | edit source]

In this lesson, we have explored the concept of possessive pronouns in German. We have learned the different forms of possessive pronouns for masculine, feminine, neuter, and plural nouns, as well as their different forms in the nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive cases. Understanding how to use possessive pronouns correctly is crucial for expressing ownership and building more complex sentences in German. Keep practicing and incorporating possessive pronouns into your German conversations to improve your language skills. Gute Arbeit! (Good job!)

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1[edit source]

Course Presentation

Basic Sentence Structures

Greetings and Introduction

Definite and Indefinite Articles

Numbers, Dates and Time

Verbs and Conjugation

Family and Friends

Prepositions

Food and Drinks

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

Pronouns and Possessives

Travel and Transportation

Modal Verbs

Shopping and Clothes

Music and Entertainment

Adjectives

Health and Body

Time and Temporal Prepositions

Videos[edit | edit source]

German Possessive Adjectives (Nominative and Accusative ...[edit | edit source]

Learn German | Possessive Pronouns | Nominative case - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Learn German | Possessive Pronouns | Accusative case - YouTube[edit | edit source]

German Pronouns L5 - Possessive Pronouns - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Sources[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

◀️ Personal Pronouns — Previous Lesson	Next Lesson — Booking a Trip ▶️

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+<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/German|German]]  → [[Language/German/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/German/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Pronouns and Possessives → Possessive Pronouns</div>
-<div class="pg_page_title">German Grammar → Pronouns and Possessives → Possessive Pronouns</div>
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-As a German language teacher with 20 years of experience, I can attest that possessive pronouns are an essential aspect of German grammar. They allow us to indicate possession and ownership of people, things, and even concepts in a sentence. In this lesson, we will cover everything you need to know about possessive pronouns, including their forms and usage for different genders and cases.
+In this lesson, we will dive into the concept of possessive pronouns in German. Possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership or possession of an object or person. They replace a noun and agree with the gender and case of the noun they replace. Understanding how to use possessive pronouns correctly is essential for building more complex sentences and expressing ownership in German.
+== Possessive Pronouns in German ==
+Possessive pronouns in German are used to express possession or ownership. They are similar to possessive adjectives, but they replace the noun rather than precede it. Possessive pronouns must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they replace. Let's take a look at the different forms of possessive pronouns in German:
-<span link>With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: [[Language/German/Grammar/Gender|Gender]] & [[Language/German/Grammar/Inflections-of-adjectives|Inflections of adjectives]].</span>
+=== Possessive Pronouns for Masculine Nouns ===
-== What are Possessive Pronouns? ==
+When replacing a masculine noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:
-Possessive pronouns are a type of pronoun that indicate possession, ownership, or a relationship between a person or thing and an object or concept. Possessive pronouns replace a noun and agree with the gender and case of the noun they are replacing. They are often used in place of a sentence that contains both a subject and a possessive phrase to make the sentence more concise.
+{| class="wikitable"
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| mein || mīn || my
+|-
+| dein || dīn || your (singular informal)
+|-
+| sein || zaɪn || his
+|-
+| ihr || iːɐ̯ || her
+|-
+| unser || ˈʊnzɐ || our
+|-
+| euer || ˈɔʏ̯ɐ || your (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihr || iːɐ̯ || their
+|}
-For example:
+=== Possessive Pronouns for Feminine Nouns ===
-- Possessive phrase: "Der Hund des Nachbarn ist groß." (The neighbor's dog is big.)
+When replacing a feminine noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:
-- Using a possessive pronoun: "Sein Hund ist groß." (His dog is big.)
-In the second sentence, the possessive pronoun "sein" replaces the entire phrase "des Nachbarn," making it more concise.
+{| class="wikitable"
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| meine || ˈmaɪ̯nə || my
+|-
+| deine || ˈdaɪ̯nə || your (singular informal)
+|-
+| seine || ˈzaɪ̯nə || his
+|-
+| ihre || ˈiːʀə || her
+|-
+| unsere || ˈʊnzəʀə || our
+|-
+| eure || ˈɔʏ̯ʀə || your (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihre || ˈiːʀə || their
+|}
-== Forms of Possessive Pronouns ==
+=== Possessive Pronouns for Neuter Nouns ===
+When replacing a neuter noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:
-Possessive pronouns are declined for gender and case, just like articles and adjectives in German. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in each gender and case:
+{| class="wikitable"
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| mein || mīn || my
+|-
+| dein || dīn || your (singular informal)
+|-
+| sein || zaɪn || his
+|-
+| ihr || iːɐ̯ || her
+|-
+| unser || ˈʊnzɐ || our
+|-
+| euer || ˈɔʏ̯ɐ || your (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihr || iːɐ̯ || their
+|}
-=== Masculine Forms ===
+=== Possessive Pronouns for Plural Nouns ===
+When replacing a plural noun, the possessive pronouns in German are as follows:
-*Nominative Case:
+{| class="wikitable"
-- 'mein' for 'my'
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
-- 'dein' for 'your (singular)'
+|-
-- 'sein' for 'his'
+| meine || ˈmaɪ̯nə || my
-- 'ihr' for 'her'
+|-
-- 'unser' for 'our'
+| deine || ˈdaɪ̯nə || your (singular informal)
-- 'euer' for 'your (plural)'
+|-
-- 'ihr' for 'their'
+| seine || ˈzaɪ̯nə || his
+|-
+| ihre || ˈiːʀə || her
+|-
+| unsere || ˈʊnzəʀə || our
+|-
+| eure || ˈɔʏ̯ʀə || your (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihre || ˈiːʀə || their
+|}
-*Accusative Case
+=== Possessive Pronouns in Different Cases ===
-- 'meinen' for 'my'
+Possessive pronouns in German also change depending on the case they are used in. Let's take a look at the different forms of possessive pronouns in different cases:
-- 'deinen' for 'your (singular)'
-- 'seinen' for 'his'
-- 'ihren' for 'her'
-- 'unseren' for 'our'
-- 'euren' for 'your (plural)'
-- 'ihren' for 'their'
-*Genitive Case
+==== Nominative Case ====
-- 'meines' for 'my'
+In the nominative case, possessive pronouns are used when the noun is the subject of the sentence. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the nominative case:
-- 'deines' for 'your (singular)'
-- 'seines' for 'his'
-- 'ihrer' for 'her'
-- 'unseres' for 'our'
-- 'eures' for 'your (plural)'
-- 'ihrer' for 'their'
-=== Feminine Forms ===
+{| class="wikitable"
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| meiner || ˈmaɪ̯nɐ || mine
+|-
+| deiner || ˈdaɪ̯nɐ || yours (singular informal)
+|-
+| seiner || ˈzaɪ̯nɐ || his
+|-
+| ihrer || ˈiːʀɐ || hers
+|-
+| unser || ˈʊnzɐ || ours
+|-
+| eurer || ˈɔʏ̯ʀɐ || yours (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihrer || ˈiːʀɐ || theirs
+|}
-*Nominative Case:
+==== Accusative Case ====
-- 'meine' for 'my'
+In the accusative case, possessive pronouns are used when the noun is the direct object of the sentence. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the accusative case:
-- 'deine' for 'your (singular)'
-- 'seine' for 'his'
-- 'ihre' for 'her'
-- 'unsere' for 'our'
-- 'eure' for 'your (plural)'
-- 'ihre' for 'their'
-*Accusative Case
+{| class="wikitable"
-- 'meine' for 'my'
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
-- 'deine' for 'your (singular)'
+|-
-- 'seine' for 'his'
+| meinen || ˈmaɪ̯nən || mine
-- 'ihre' for 'her'
+|-
-- 'unsere' for 'our'
+| deinen || ˈdaɪ̯nən || yours (singular informal)
-- 'eure' for 'your (plural)'
+|-
-- 'ihre' for 'their'
+| seinen || ˈzaɪ̯nən || his
+|-
+| ihre || ˈiːʀə || hers
+|-
+| unseren || ˈʊnzəʀən || ours
+|-
+| euren || ˈɔʏ̯ʀən || yours (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihre || ˈiːʀə || theirs
+|}
-*Genitive Case
+==== Dative Case ====
-- 'meiner' for 'my'
+In the dative case, possessive pronouns are used when the noun is the indirect object of the sentence. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the dative case:
-- 'deiner' for 'your (singular)'
-- 'seiner' for 'his'
-- 'ihrer' for 'her'
-- 'unserer' for 'our'
-- 'eurer' for 'your (plural)'
-- 'ihrer' for 'their'
-=== Neuter Forms ===
+{| class="wikitable"
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
+|-
+| meinem || ˈmaɪ̯nəm || mine
+|-
+| deinem || ˈdaɪ̯nəm || yours (singular informal)
+|-
+| seinem || ˈzaɪ̯nəm || his
+|-
+| ihrem || ˈiːʀəm || hers
+|-
+| unserem || ˈʊnzəʀəm || ours
+|-
+| eurem || ˈɔʏ̯ʀəm || yours (plural informal)
+|-
+| ihrem || ˈiːʀəm || theirs
+|}
-*Nominative Case:
+==== Genitive Case ====
-- 'mein' for 'my'
+In the genitive case, possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession. Here are the forms of possessive pronouns in the genitive case:
-- 'dein' for 'your (singular)'
-- 'sein' for 'his'
-- 'ihr' for 'her'
-- 'unser' for 'our'
-- 'euer' for 'your (plural)'
-- 'ihr' for 'their'
-*Accusative Case
+{| class="wikitable"
-- 'mein' for 'my'
+! German !! Pronunciation !! English
-- 'dein' for 'your (singular)'
+|-
-- 'sein' for 'his'
+| meines || ˈmaɪ̯nəs || mine
-- 'ihr' for 'her'
+|-
-- 'unser' for 'our'
+| deines || ˈdaɪ̯nəs || yours (singular informal)
-- 'euer' for 'your (plural)'
+|-
-- 'ihr' for 'their'
+| seines || ˈzaɪ̯nəs || his
+|-
-*Genitive Case
+| ihrer || ˈiːʀɐ || hers
-- 'meines' for 'my'
+|-
-- 'deines' for 'your (singular)'
+| unseres || ˈʊnzəʀəs || ours
-- 'seines' for 'his'
+|-
-- 'ihrer' for 'her'
+| eures || ˈɔʏ̯ʀəs || yours (plural informal)
-- 'unseres' for 'our'
+|-
-- 'eures' for 'your (plural)'
+| ihrer || ˈiːʀɐ || theirs
-- 'ihrer' for 'their'
+|}
-== Usage of Possessive Pronouns ==
-Possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership or a close relationship between a person or thing and an object. They replace a noun and agree with the gender and case of the noun they are replacing.
-For example:
-- "Ich trage meinen Hut." (I'm wearing my hat.)
-- "Er zeigt ihr seinen Hund." (He's showing her his dog.)
-In the first sentence, the masculine possessive pronoun "meinen" agrees with the masculine noun "Hut" in the accusative case. In the second sentence, the feminine possessive pronoun "ihren" agrees with the feminine noun "Frau" in the dative case and the masculine possessive pronoun "seinen" agrees with the masculine noun "Hund" in the accusative case.
-== Exceptions and Special Cases ==
-Like with any rule in German grammar, there are exceptions and special cases to keep in mind when using possessive pronouns.
-- When used with nouns that have no article (in particular, plurals and mass nouns), the possessive pronoun takes the article's place. For example: "Wir trinken unseren Wein." (We are drinking our wine.)
-- If the possessive pronoun precedes a noun with an article, the article and the possessive pronoun must agree in gender, number, and case. For example: "Die Mädchen und ihre Mutter." (The girls and their mother.)
-- In the case of feminine and neuter nouns with the suffix "-lein" or "-chen," the possessive pronoun agrees with the original gender of the noun, not the gender implied by the suffix. For example: "Das Fräulein und ihr Kleid" (The young lady and her dress) uses "ihr" instead of "sein" because "Fräulein" is a feminine noun.
+== Using Possessive Pronouns in Sentences ==
+Now that we have learned the different forms of possessive pronouns in German, let's practice using them in sentences. Here are a few examples:
-- Possessive pronouns are often used in conjunction with reflexive pronouns to indicate a close relationship between a person and an action performed by or relating to that person. For example: "Er wäscht sich die Hände." (He's washing his hands.) The reflexive pronoun "sich" is used in combination with the masculine possessive pronoun "seine" to indicate that the action is being performed by the same person as the one being referred to.
+=== Example Sentences ===
+* Das ist **mein** Buch. (This is my book.)
+* Wo ist **deine** Tasche? (Where is your bag?)
+* Ich habe **seinen** Hund gesehen. (I saw his dog.)
+* **Ihre** Katze ist sehr süß. (Her cat is very cute.)
+* Das sind **unsere** Kinder. (These are our children.)
+* Wo sind **eure** Schlüssel? (Where are your keys?)
+* Das ist **ihr** Auto. (That is their car.)
-== Practice Examples ==
+In these examples, the possessive pronouns agree with the gender, number, and case of the nouns they replace. It's important to pay attention to these agreements when using possessive pronouns in German.
-To practice using possessive pronouns, try forming sentences with the examples below:
+== Conclusion ==
+In this lesson, we have explored the concept of possessive pronouns in German. We have learned the different forms of possessive pronouns for masculine, feminine, neuter, and plural nouns, as well as their different forms in the nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive cases. Understanding how to use possessive pronouns correctly is crucial for expressing ownership and building more complex sentences in German. Keep practicing and incorporating possessive pronouns into your German conversations to improve your language skills. Gute Arbeit! (Good job!)
-* My mother's car: "Das ist _____ Mutter Auto."
-* Our house: "Das ist _____ Haus."
-* Her favorite book: "Das ist _____ liebstes Buch."
-* Their cats: "Das sind _____ Katzen."
-* His dog's tail: "Das ist _____ Hund Schwanz."
-<span class='maj'></span>
-==Sources==
-* [https://www.fluentu.com/blog/german/possessive-pronouns-german/ To Each Their Own: Take Ownership of German Possessive Pronouns]
-* [https://germanwithlaura.com/possessive-pronouns/ German Possessive Pronouns: Your Essential Guide]
-* [https://study.com/academy/lesson/german-possessive-pronouns.html German Possessive Pronouns | Study.com]
 {{#seo:
-|title=German Grammar: Possessive Pronouns Lesson for Beginners
+|title=German Grammar → Pronouns and Possessives → Possessive Pronouns
-|keywords=German, Possessive Pronouns, Grammar, Beginner Level, Gender, Case, Forms, Usage, Examples
+|keywords=German Grammar, Pronouns, Possessives, Possessive Pronouns, German Language, German Course, German Lessons
-|description=In this lesson, you will learn everything you need to know about possessive pronouns in German, including their forms and usage for different genders and cases. Practice with our examples for a solid foundation in German grammar.
+|description=In this lesson, you will learn about possessive pronouns in German and how to use them correctly. Understand the different forms of possessive pronouns for different genders and cases. Improve your German language skills with this comprehensive lesson.
 }}
@@ Line 168: / Line 217: @@
 [[Category:0-to-A1-Course]]
 [[Category:German-0-to-A1-Course]]
+<span gpt></span> <span model=gpt-3.5-turbo-16k></span> <span temperature=0.7></span>
 ==Videos==
@@ Line 182: / Line 232: @@
 ===German Pronouns L5 - Possessive Pronouns - YouTube===
 <youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So9vSffqTpU</youtube>
+==Sources==
+* [https://www.fluentu.com/blog/german/possessive-pronouns-german/ To Each Their Own: Take Ownership of German Possessive Pronouns]
+* [https://germanwithlaura.com/possessive-pronouns/ German Possessive Pronouns: Your Essential Guide]
+* [https://study.com/academy/lesson/german-possessive-pronouns.html German Possessive Pronouns | Study.com]
 ==Other Lessons==
@@ Line 194: / Line 253: @@
 * [[Language/German/Grammar/Personal-Pronouns|Personal Pronouns]]
 * [[Language/German/Grammar/Cases|Cases]]
 {{German-Page-Bottom}}
-<span links></span>
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