Explore the Amazing World of German Possessive Pronouns

The Basics of Possessive Pronouns

Pronouns are amazing words that reduce the repetition of nouns and make the language attractive. One such type of pronoun is the one that is used to show ownership and comprise the possessive pronouns. Hence, in this segment, we shall explore in detail the vast domain of possessive pronouns in German.

Definition of Possessive Pronouns

The words or pronouns that are used to denote the possession of something are categorized under the possessive pronouns. In simple words, they show to whom something belongs or is related. They replace a noun from the sentence and indicate the relationship or ownership. Some instances of English and German pronouns are as follows:

Examples: 

Her frock is very pretty. (ihr Kleid ist sehr hübsch)

His bike is fast. (sein Fahrrad ist schnell)

The terms his, her, ihr, and sein are all possessive pronouns.

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How Do Possessive Pronouns Work in English?

In English, possessive pronouns are used to indicate who owns or possesses the noun. There are a total of six pronouns that include his, her, mine, yours, ours, theirs. These replace the noun which is repeated in the sentence. The reason why they are used in English is because they make the statements concise, prevent repetition, and make writing smooth and easy. Also, they show how different nouns connect with each other and offer a clear explanation of the context or situation.

Examples:

• The dog is theirs.
• The blue car is ours.
• The sweater is mine.

How Do Possessive Pronouns Work in German?

Similar to the possessive pronouns in English grammar, the German possessive pronouns also indicate the possession of objects. They are generally used at the end or start of a sentence. The six types of possessive pronouns include the following:

• mein- mine
• dein- yours [informal]
• unser- ours
• euer- / eur- y’alls [you, informal, plural]
• sein- his / its
• ihr- hers / theirs / Yours [formal, singular & plural]

However, these six German possessive pronouns can take up different forms depending on the number, gender and case of the noun. Further, they are joined together with these single-lettered declensions (-m, -s, -e, -r, -n, etc.) to denote the case and gender of the noun they replace.

Difference Between Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns?

Both the possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns in German are used to show ownership. However, they do share some differences:

Conventional Possessive Pronouns Chart

The conventional German possessive pronouns chart is a table that summarizes all the different forms of the root pronouns. This helps you easily identify the possessive pronouns that you need to use with the right declensions.

• In this, the four German cases are given on the left-hand side of the chart.
• Further, each of the cases is bifurcated into their respective genders masculine (m), feminine (f) and neuter (n).
• The plural forms of the pronouns are denoted by pl.
• The pronouns ich, du, er, sie, es, wir, ihr and sie (I, you, he, she, it, we, you all and they) are listed at the top.

The following is the German possessive pronouns chart for you to refer to.

Possessive Pronouns in German Cases

As you already know in German grammar, the cases play an essential role. Hence, it is necessary that you know about the ways in which the possessive pronouns are modified to satisfy the different German cases. So, let’s start with finding out how nominative possessive pronouns German work:

Possessive Pronouns in the Nominative Case

Possessive pronouns that replace the subject of the sentence are classified in the nominative case. This is because this case is also known as the subject case and denotes the one doing the action. Thus, given below are the different forms of nominative possessive pronouns German for you to explore:

Some of the examples of the nominative case are the following:

• Ist das dein Handy? (Is that your phone?)
• Wir lieben unsere Land. (We love our country.)

Possessive Pronouns in the Accusative Case

In the accusative possessive pronouns German, the gender and case of the direct object from the sentence are taken into consideration. The direct object is the one which is affected by the action. The following are the pronouns in this case:

A few examples of accusative possessive pronouns in German are as follows:

• Er liest sein Buch. (He is reading his book.)
• Sie haben ihre Koffer verloren. (They lost their suitcases.)

Possessive Pronouns in the Dative Case

The object which is indirectly affected by the action verb comes under the dative case. Therefore, in the case of dative possessive pronouns in German, you will refer to the number and gender of the indirect object. The following are different pronoun forms in the dative case:

The examples of dative possessive pronouns German are given below:

• Sie hilft ihrer Schwester. (She is helping her sister.)
• Sie erzählen ihren Freunden eine Geschichte. (They are telling their friends a story.)

Possessive Pronouns in the Genitive Case

The Genitive possessive pronouns in German showcase the relationship between two different nouns. These types of pronouns are more common in formal writing. Hence, the following table contains the different genitive case pronouns:

Below are the examples of genitive possessive pronouns::

Examples: 

• Sie erinnert sich an die Geschichte seiner Großeltern. (She remembers the story of his grandparents.)
• Das ist das Haus ihrer Träume. (That is the house of her dreams.)

How to Pick the Correct Possessive Pronoun

Now, that you know that the German possessive pronouns can take different forms in the sentence, you also need to find out the ways in which you can select the right possessive pronoun. Hence, the following are some methods that you can use:

• Identify the gender and number of nouns: The pronoun that you are going to use in your sentence will depend on the number and gender of the noun that it is replacing.
• Determine the case: The four different cases in German have different forms of the German possessive pronouns, so, you have to identify the correct case.
• Decide the pronoun stem: Once you know which noun you need to replace, you can choose the root or stem word that you will be using. This can also be done based on who is the owner of the object. For instance, ich, du, er, sie (I, you, he, she/they).

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Possessive Pronouns

Although mistakes will help you learn better, sometimes errors can also discourage a learner. That is why it is important to be aware of the common pitfalls in this field:

• Gender and case agreement: It is a general rule that the German possessive pronouns align with the case of noun, gender, and its number. Ignoring this can cause inaccuracy. To reduce this mistake, you should memorize the declension table.
• Ignoring plural forms: The endings of the possessive pronouns change with the number of the noun. Thus, you need to use the correct form of the pronoun depending on whether the noun is singular or plural.
• Misplacement of pronouns: German has very strict rules when it comes to grammar. Therefore, it is vital to understand the structure of the sentence and then add the ending for German possessive pronouns by using the declination rule.
• Confusing ihr and sein: The pronouns ihr and sein are the most complicated ones. ihr can translate to her, their, or yours whereas sein translates to his or its. However, with the help of the context of the statement you can determine which form you need to use.
• Overusing dein and euer: To play it safe, learners tend to use euer and dein a lot. It slows their learning and also stops them from diversifying their vocabulary. So, you need to make use of new and different terms.

Conclusion

To sum up, these are the different ways in which you can use possessive pronouns to enhance your German speaking skills. In addition to that, to learn German basics you can visit us at Gradding. Here, you will get expert guidance and online classes that prepare you from A1 to C2 level. So, do not forget to check our German online coaching with a free demo session.   

Also read:

• German Tenses
• German Adjectives

FAQs

What are the nine pronouns in German?

The nine possessive pronouns in German are as given below:

What is the dative case in German?

The indirect subject in a sentence is marked using the dative case in German. It is used to denote the person or object who is receiving or getting the benefits of the action happening.  

How do you replace a noun with a pronoun?

When you want to replace a noun with a pronoun in the German language, you will first need to check the following:

• Gender of the noun (feminine, masculine, neuter)
• The number (singular and plural)
• The case (dative, accusative, nominative, genitive)

After that, you need to select a suitable pronoun.

What is the possessive of ‘I’?

The possessive of ‘I’ is mine which in German translates to ‘meins’ in the masculine gender and to ‘meine’ for the feminine gender.  

When should I use possessive?

The German possessive pronouns are used to indicate the relationship between the owner and the object. These words show the ownership of something. They can change based on gender, case or number. Hence, whenever you wish to show possession you can use these in place of nouns.