Possessive Adjectives in German

This section explains the possessive adjectives in German and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers.

Introduction to Possessive Adjectives

In German, possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession, similar to English words like "my," "your," "his," "her," "our," "your," and "their." Possessive adjectives must agree in gender, case, and number with the noun they modify, just like other adjectives.

For example:

• My book = mein Buch (masculine, nominative)
• Her house = ihr Haus (neuter, nominative)

Possessive adjectives can change their endings depending on whether they are used with masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural nouns, and also based on the case of the noun (nominative, accusative, dative, or genitive).

List of Possessive Adjectives

Here is a list of common possessive adjectives in German, showing how they correspond to the English possessive adjectives:

Note: Possessive adjectives follow the same declension rules as adjectives. This means their endings change depending on the gender, case, and number of the noun they modify.

Declension of Possessive Adjectives

The endings of possessive adjectives depend on the gender, case, and number of the noun they are describing. Here’s how possessive adjectives decline in the different cases:

Examples of Possessive Adjectives in Sentences

Nominative Case (Subject)

• Mein Hund ist sehr freundlich. = My dog is very friendly. (Masculine, nominative)
• Deine Katze schläft. = Your cat is sleeping. (Feminine, nominative)
• Sein Auto ist neu. = His car is new. (Neuter, nominative)
• Unsere Freunde kommen morgen. = Our friends are coming tomorrow. (Plural, nominative)

Accusative Case (Direct Object)

• Ich sehe mein Buch. = I see my book. (Masculine, accusative)
• Ich kaufe meine Jacke. = I am buying my jacket. (Feminine, accusative)
• Sie trägt mein T-Shirt. = She is wearing my T-shirt. (Neuter, accusative)
• Wir haben unsere Hausaufgaben gemacht. = We have done our homework. (Plural, accusative)

Dative Case (Indirect Object)

• Ich gebe meinem Bruder das Buch. = I am giving my brother the book. (Masculine, dative)
• Sie hilft ihrer Mutter. = She is helping her mother. (Feminine, dative)
• Er spricht mit seinem Freund. = He is talking to his friend. (Masculine, dative)
• Wir danken unseren Nachbarn. = We thank our neighbours. (Plural, dative)

Genitive Case (Possession)

• Mein Hund ist groß. = My dog is big. (Masculine, genitive)
• Ich erinnere mich an deine Geschichte. = I remember your story. (Feminine, genitive)
• Er spricht über sein Projekt. = He is talking about his project. (Neuter, genitive)
• Das ist der Erfolg unserer Arbeit. = This is the success of our work. (Plural, genitive)

Examples of Possessive Adjectives in Different Sentences

• Mein Zimmer ist sauber. = My room is clean. (Masculine, nominative)
• Seine Freunde kommen aus Berlin. = His friends are from Berlin. (Plural, nominative)
• Deine Mutter ist sehr nett. = Your mother is very nice. (Feminine, nominative)
• Unsere Lehrer sind freundlich. = Our teachers are friendly. (Plural, nominative)
• Deinen Hund sehe ich jeden Tag. = I see your dog every day. (Masculine, accusative)
• Ihre Katze ist groß. = Her cat is big. (Feminine, nominative)
• Unser Haus ist alt. = Our house is old. (Neuter, nominative)
• Mein Vater ist sehr nett. = My father is very nice. (Masculine, nominative)

Higher-Tier Example: Complex Sentences Using Possessive Adjectives

For higher-tier students, it’s important to practice using possessive adjectives in more complex sentences. This can include different tenses, comparative forms, and combining possessive adjectives with other grammar elements.

• Meine Eltern haben mein Zimmer umdekoriert. = My parents redecorated my room. (Masculine, accusative)
• Seine Ideen sind oft sehr kreativ. = His ideas are often very creative. (Feminine, nominative)
• Unsere Lehrer geben uns viel Hausaufgaben. = Our teachers give us a lot of homework. (Plural, nominative)
• Eure Bücher sind auf dem Tisch. = Your books are on the table. (Plural, nominative)

Key Vocabulary:

• mein = my
• dein = your (informal)
• sein = his, its
• ihr = her, its
• unser = our
• euer = your (informal plural)
• Ihr = your (formal)
• ihr = their

Summary

• Possessive adjectives are used to indicate ownership or possession and must agree with the noun they describe in terms of gender, case, and number.
• Declension of possessive adjectives changes based on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural and also depends on the case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive).
• Examples of possessive adjectives:
  • mein (my)
  • dein (your – informal)
  • sein (his/its)
  • ihr (her/its)
  • unser (our)
  • euer (your – informal plural)
  • Ihr (your – formal)
  • ihr (their)

By mastering the use of possessive adjectives, you will be able to describe ownership and possession accurately in German.