The genitive case is used to indicate possession or ownership.
Das ist die Tasche meines Vaters.
That is my father's bag.
🔄 Word Order Difference
One main difference from English is the word order:
English: The possessive comes first ("my father's bag")
German: The genitive usually comes after the noun it refers to
Das ist die Tasche meines Vaters.
That is my father's bag.
Das ist das Auto meiner Tante.
That is my aunt's car.
Das ist das Spielzeug meines Babys.
That is my baby's toy.
Das ist die Meinung der Gäste.
That is the guests' opinion.
Endings in the Genitive Case
Like the accusative and dative cases, the genitive affects the endings of modifiers (articles, possessives).
Modifier
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Plural
Definite
-es des Mannes
-er der Frau
-es des Kindes
-er der Gäste
Indefinite
-es eines Mannes
-er einer Frau
-es eines Kindes
–
Possessive
-es meines Mannes
-er meiner Frau
-es meines Kindes
-er meiner Gäste
📝 Key Rules
Modifiers end in -es for masculine and neuter nouns
Modifiers end in -er for feminine nouns and plural
Masculine and neuter nouns also add -(e)s to the noun itself
Short nouns usually add -es (der Mann → des Mannes)
Longer nouns (2+ syllables) usually add just -s (der Computer → des Computers)
Feminine nouns and plural nouns do not take an ending
⚠️ No Apostrophe!
When an -s is added to masculine or neuter nouns, there is NO apostrophe in German. This also applies to names:
Das ist Peters Buch.
This is Peter's book. (No apostrophe!)
Genitive Prepositions
Certain prepositions require the genitive case. Here are the most common ones:
trotz
despite
während
during
wegen
because of
(an)statt
instead of
Während seiner Zeit...
During his time...
Trotz ihres hohen Alters...
Despite her old age...
Note: These forms are less common at beginners' level, but it's good to be aware of them.
Spoken German Alternative
💬 Everyday Speech
In spoken German, the genitive is often considered too formal. A common alternative is to use von + dative:
Das ist das Auto meines Bruders.
(Formal genitive)
↓
Das ist das Auto von meinem Bruder.
(Spoken German alternative)
🎯 The Main Points
The genitive expresses possessive relationships between two nouns
Usage is similar to English, but endings change:
-es for masculine and neuter nouns
-er for feminine nouns and plural
Don't forget to add -(e)s to masculine and neuter nouns
No apostrophe in German possession!
Exercise 14.1: Von + Dative
Instructions: Replace the genitive construction by using von + dative. Example: Das ist die neue Freundin meines Vaters. → Das ist die neue Freundin von meinem Vater.
1
Das ist die Gitarre .
2
Das ist der Sportwagen .
3
Das ist das Spielzeug .
4
Das ist die Frau .
5
Da vorne steht die Freundin .
6
Die Mutter ist Zahnärztin.
7
Der Manager ist nicht sehr freundlich.
8
Die Meinung ist mir sehr wichtig.
Exercise 14.2: Genitive Endings
Instructions: Fill in the missing endings for the modifiers in the genitive case and make the correct changes to the noun, if applicable. Examples: Wie war der Name dein Freund? → Wie war der Name deines Freundes?
1
Das ist das Zimmer .
2
Wie war der Name d?
3
Das Cover d ist sehr attraktiv.
4
Der Vorname ist Karl-Günther.
5
Das Hobby ist Reisen.
6
Der Bildschirm ist sehr gut für die Augen.
7
Trotz d macht er einen Spaziergang.
8
Während geht sie meistens ins Restaurant.
Exercise 14.3: Translations
Instructions: Translate the following sentences into German using the genitive case.
1. That is my brother's book.
2. That is my sister's car.
3. These are the friends of my child.
4. This is Paula's bag.
5. It was Boris Becker's mistake.
Checklist ✓
Test your understanding by answering these questions:
Which two factors determine the use of the genitive case?
Do modifier endings change for all nouns in the genitive case?
Can you name the endings for the most common modifiers?
Are there also endings to the noun itself in the genitive case?
Building on: In Chapter 13, you learned the dative case for indirect objects and after certain prepositions. The genitive builds on this knowledge of case endings - notice how -es and -er follow similar patterns to other cases!
→ Coming Next
Prepare for:Chapter 15 covers Personal Pronouns in all four cases (nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive). You'll see how pronouns change form just like articles do!