Possessive pronouns in German, like in English, are used to show ownership or relationships between people and things. They are an essential part of everyday conversation and writing, as they help you avoid repetition and make sentences flow more naturally. However, unlike in English, German possessive pronouns change based on the gender, case, and number of the noun they refer to. This makes mastering them a key component of learning the language.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at how German possessive pronouns work, how they’re used in different cases, and common mistakes to avoid. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to confidently use possessive pronouns in your conversations and writing.
What Are Possessive Pronouns?
In German, possessive pronouns indicate who possesses or owns something. They correspond to the English possessive pronouns my, your, his, her, its, our, their and your (formal). However, in German, these pronouns must agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they are modifying. This agreement is essential for grammatical accuracy in German. Here are the basic possessive pronouns in the nominative case:
English | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
My | mein | meine | mein | meine |
Your (informal) | dein | deine | dein | deine |
His | sein | seine | sein | seine |
Her | ihr | ihre | ihr | ihre |
Its | sein | seine | sein | seine |
Our | unser | unsere | unser | unsere |
Your (plural) | euer | eure | euer | eure |
Their | ihr | ihre | ihr | ihre |
Your (formal) | Ihr | Ihre | Ihr | Ihre |
Example Sentences (Nominative Case):
Das ist mein Buch. (This is my book.)
Deine Katze ist sehr süß. (Your cat is very cute.)
Ihr Auto ist neu. (Her car is new.)
Unsere Freunde kommen später. (Our friends are coming later.)
How Possessive Pronouns Change With Cases
German has four cases—nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive—and possessive pronouns change their endings based on the case, gender, and number of the noun they refer to. That's why they're also known as possessive articles because they follow the four cases and are used as indefinite articles. Unlike the personal pronouns in German, which don't have endings, the possessive pronouns do. Let’s explore how possessive pronouns change in each case and what you need to watch out for.
Nominative Case (Subject)
The nominative case is used when the noun is the subject of the sentence. In the nominative, the possessive pronouns take their simplest form.
Examples:
Mein Hund ist sehr alt. (My dog is very old.)
Eure Lehrer sind sehr nett. (Your teachers are very nice.)
Seine Schwester wohnt in Berlin. (His sister lives in Berlin.)
Accusative Case (Direct Object)
The accusative case is used when the noun is the direct object of the sentence—the thing that is directly receiving the action. In this case, the possessive pronouns change for masculine singular nouns.
English | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
My | meinen | meine | mein | meine |
Your (informal) | deinen | deine | dein | deine |
His | seinen | seine | sein | seine |
Her | ihren | ihre | ihr | ihre |
Its | seinen | seine | sein | seine |
Our | unseren | unsere | unser | unsere |
Your (plural) | euren | eure | euer | eure |
Their | ihren | ihre | ihr | ihre |
Your (formal) | Ihren | Ihre | Ihr | Ihre |
Examples:
Ich sehe meinen Hund. (I see my dog.)
Sie besucht ihren Bruder. (She visits her brother.)
Wir kaufen unser Auto. (We are buying our car.)
Dative Case (Indirect Object)
The dative case is used when the noun is the indirect object—the recipient of the action or the thing being affected by it. In the dative case, all singular possessive pronouns take an -em ending for masculine and neuter nouns, and an -er ending for feminine nouns. Plural nouns take the ending -en.
English | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
My | meinem | meiner | meinem | meinen |
Your (informal) | deinem | deiner | deinem | deinen |
His | seinem | seiner | seinem | seinen |
Her | ihrem | ihrer | ihrem | ihren |
Its | seinem | seiner | seinem | seinen |
Our | unserem | unserer | unserem | unseren |
Your (plural) | eurem | eurer | eurem | euren |
Their | ihrem | ihrer | ihrem | ihren |
Your (formal) | Ihrem | Ihrer | Ihrem | Ihren |
Examples:
Ich gebe meinem Freund ein Geschenk. (I am giving my friend a gift.)
Sie hilft ihrem Bruder. (She helps her brother.)
Wir danken unseren Lehrern. (We thank our teachers.)
Genitive Case (Possession)
The genitive case is used to show possession. In spoken German, the genitive is becoming less common, often replaced by dative structures, but it’s still important in formal writing and literature. The possessive pronouns in the genitive case take an -es or -er ending depending on the gender.
English | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
My | meines | meiner | meines | meiner |
Your (informal) | deines | deiner | deines | deiner |
His | seines | seiner | seines | seiner |
Her | ihres | ihrer | ihres | ihrer |
Its | seines | seiner | seines | seiner |
Our | unseres | unserer | unseres | unserer |
Your (plural) | eures | eurer | eures | eurer |
Their | ihres | ihrer | ihres | ihrer |
Your (formal) | Ihres | Ihrer | Ihres | Ihrer |
Examples:
Wegen meines Freundes war ich zu spät. (Because of my friend, I was late.)
Trotz ihres Autos ist sie zu Fuß gekommen. (Despite her car, she came on foot.)
Below you see the full declination of the possessive pronoun "mein" as an example.
| MASCULINE | FEMININE | NEUTER | PLURAL |
NOMINATIVE | mein Mann | meine Frau | mein Auto | meine Autos |
ACCUSATIVE | meinen Mann | meine Frau | mein Auto | meine Autos |
DATIVE | meinem Mann | meiner Frau | meinem Auto | meinen Autos |
GENITIVE | meines Mannes | meiner Frau | meines Autos | meiner Autos |
As the table shows, the gender and case of the following noun determines the ending of the possessive pronoun. To learn more about gender rules in German and how to use the German cases, check out my blog entries on these topics.
Let's now look at some examples in full sentences.
Meine Nationalmannschaft hat die Weltmeisterschaft gewonnen.
(My national team won the world cup)
In this sentence, the national team is the subject and because the indefinite article would be "eine" as Mannschaft is a feminine in German, an "e" must be added to the possessive pronoun "mein"
Ich gebe meinem Bruder ein Buch
(I give a book to my brother)
Here, the brother is the indirect object (dative) as he receives the book, so your reference is the indefinite article "einer". Hence, an "er" needs to be added to "mein".
However, in nominative masculine, nominative neutral and accusative neutral, the article is "ein" without an ending. Hence the possessive pronouns don't have an ending there either.
Mein Bruder spielt gern Schach.
(My brother likes to play chess)
Mein Haus war teuer.
(My house was expensive)
To avoid a common mistake in using "sein" and "ihr", read my blog entry on the difference between the two pronouns and bear in mind that their endings are again determined by the gender and the case of the noun that follows.
Sie gibt ihrem Bruder ein Buch.
(She gives a book to her brother)
Your subject is a female and so your possessive article is "ihr". Since the brother is in the dative case, the ending "em" from the article "einem" needs to be added.
Er gibt seiner Schwester ein Buch
(He gives a book to his sister)
Here, your subject is a male, so your possessive article is "sein". As the sister is again in the dative case, the ending "er" needs to be added because the article would be "einer".
My advice would be to practice the use of articles and cases first. Once you have a good understanding of the four cases, you will find possessive pronouns much easier to use.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes With Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in German can be tricky because they have to agree with the gender, case, and number of the noun they modify. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for and how to avoid them:
1. Forgetting to Adjust for Gender and Case
Many learners struggle to remember that possessive pronouns change based on both the gender and case of the noun. For example, mein Vater becomes meinen Vater in the accusative case, because "father" is masculine and a direct object.
Solution: Practice constructing sentences in different cases. Use simple exercises to switch between the nominative, accusative, and dative cases to reinforce this concept.
2. Mixing Up Plural and Singular Forms
It’s easy to forget that the endings for plural nouns are different from singular ones. For instance, unsere Bücher (our books) vs. unser Buch (our book).
Solution: Whenever you’re unsure, always double-check whether the noun is singular or plural before choosing the correct possessive pronoun form.
3. Using the Wrong Possessive Pronoun
Another common mistake is using the incorrect pronoun for "your" in formal and informal situations. In German, Ihr (formal) is used for both singular and plural, while dein and euer are used in informal singular and plural forms, respectively.
Solution: Be mindful of the formality of the situation. In professional or formal settings, stick to Ihr (formal), while in casual conversations with friends or family, use dein (singular informal) or euer (plural informal).
4. Tips for Mastering Possessive Pronouns
Practice with Real-Life Scenarios: Describe the ownership of various objects in your house using possessive pronouns. For example, "Das ist mein Stuhl" (This is my chair), "Das ist ihr Auto" (This is her car).
Create Flashcards: Make flashcards with nouns of different genders and cases, and practice matching them with the correct possessive pronouns. Focus on switching between nominative, accusative, and dative forms.
Engage in Conversations: Whenever you're speaking or writing in German, make a conscious effort to use possessive pronouns. Talk about your possessions, family members, or friends, and practice forming sentences that involve different cases.
Conclusion
Mastering possessive pronouns in German is an important step in becoming fluent and confident in the language. While it may initially seem challenging due to the complexity of gender, number, and case agreements, regular practice and exposure will help you internalize these rules. Using the examples and tips provided in this guide, you’ll be able to correctly use possessive pronouns in any context, making your German conversations and writing more natural and accurate. Keep practising, and soon you’ll be using mein, dein, ihr, and unser with ease!
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