Genitive Case German: Ultimate Guide With Lots Of Examples
German cases are part of the complex German grammar system. And one of the four cases in German is the genitive case. In this blog post, we’ll go step-by-step to uncover the secrets of the genitive case German.
Easy German made a funny little video about it:
And now, read on to learn how to form and use the genitive case correctly, with plenty of examples.
1. What is the genitive case in German?
Effortless Answers
The genitive case in German, known as “der Genitiv,” shows possession or belonging. It answers the question “whose?” (wem?) and is used to highlight ownership, origin, or association between two nouns.
The genitive case is one of the four cases in German grammar, alongside nominative, accusative, and dative.
Genitive case is less common in everyday speech but it’s really important for written German, and you have to know how to write a letter in German, right?!
Genitive is also important if you want to express some complex relationships between nouns.
2. Genitive case German: form it the right way
How do you form the genitive case correctly in German?
Forming the genitive case involves changing articles and adding an -s or -es to masculine and neuter nouns.
Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- For masculine and neuter nouns, add -s if the noun ends in a consonant, or -es if it ends in a sibilant (s, ss, ß, z, tz, x).
- Feminine and plural nouns don’t change in the genitive case.
- Weak masculine nouns (nouns ending in -e that refer to male persons or animals) add -en or -n in all cases except nominative.
Examples:
| Nominative | Genitive | English |
|---|---|---|
| der Mann | des Mannes | the man → the man’s |
| das Haus | des Hauses | the house → the house’s |
| der Junge | des Jungen | the boy → the boy’s |
| die Frau | der Frau | the woman → the woman’s |
3. What are the German genitive case articles?
Genitive articles change based on the gender and number of the noun they modify.
Definite and indefinite articles in German change differently, so let’s take a look at them separately.
Definite articles in genitive
- Masculine: der → des
- Neuter: das → des
- Feminine: die → der
- Plural: die → der
Examples:
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Der Hund des Mannes | The man’s dog |
| Das Buch des Kindes | The child’s book |
| Die Tasche der Frau | The woman’s bag |
| Die Spielzeuge der Kinder | The children’s toys |
| Die Farbe des Himmels | The color of the sky |
| Der Geschmack des Weines | The taste of the wine |
| Die Blätter des Baumes | The leaves of the tree |
Indefinite article in genitive
- Masculine: ein → eines
- Neuter: ein → eines
- Feminine: eine → einer
Examples:
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Die Idee eines Freundes | A friend’s idea |
| Der Geruch eines Kuchens | The smell of a cake |
| Das Auto einer Nachbarin | A neighbor’s car |
| Die Meinung eines Experten | An expert’s opinion |
| Der Wert eines Diamanten | The value of a diamond |
| Das Lächeln einer Mutter | A mother’s smile |
4. Use of the genitive prepositions
Certain German prepositions always require the genitive case.
Here’s an expanded list with examples:
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| wegen | because of |
| trotz | despite |
| während | during |
| statt | instead of |
| aufgrund | due to |
| anstelle | instead of |
| infolge | as a result of |
| anlässlich | on the occasion of |
And take a look at full German sentences:
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Wegen des Regens bleiben wir zu Hause | Because of the rain, we’re staying at home |
| Trotz des Lärms konnte ich schlafen | Despite the noise, I could sleep |
| Während des Konzerts war es sehr laut | During the concert, it was very loud |
| Statt des Kuchens nahm er einen Apfel | Instead of the cake, he took an apple |
| Aufgrund des Unfalls war die Straße gesperrt | Due to the accident, the road was blocked |
| Anlässlich seines Geburtstags gab es eine Party | On the occasion of his birthday, there was a party |
5. Use the genitive case for expressing possession
The genitive case is the primary way to show possession in German.
It’s the same as using “‘s” or “of” in English.
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Das ist das Auto meines Vaters | This is my father’s car |
| Die Stimme des Sängers war wunderschön | The singer’s voice was beautiful |
| Der Garten meiner Großmutter ist voller Blumen | My grandmother’s garden is full of flowers |
| Die Entscheidung des Richters war umstritten | The judge’s decision was controversial |
| Das Ende des Films war überraschend | The end of the movie was surprising |
6. Genitive case in German as an object
Some verbs and adjectives in German require the genitive case for their objects.
Verbs that require genitive
| German | English |
|---|---|
| sich erinnern | to remember |
| gedenken | to commemorate |
| bedürfen | to require |
| sich schämen | to be ashamed of |
| sich annehmen | to take care of |
| sich entledigen | to get rid of |
| sich entsinnen | to recall |
| sich rühmen | to boast of |
| sich bemächtigen | to seize |
| harren | to await |
Examples:
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich erinnere mich des schönen Tages | I remember the beautiful day |
| Wir gedenken der Opfer | We commemorate the victims |
| Das bedarf keiner Erklärung | That requires no explanation |
Adjectives that require genitive
| German | English |
|---|---|
| bewusst | aware of |
| sicher | certain of |
| überdrüssig | tired of |
| würdig | worthy of |
| schuldig | guilty of |
| gewahr | aware of |
| mächtig | in command of |
| verdächtig | suspicious of |
| fähig | capable of |
| bedürftig | in need of |
And this is how all of this looks in a real German setting:
| German | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich bin mir des Problems bewusst | I am aware of the problem |
| Er ist seiner Aufgabe würdig | He is worthy of his task |
| Sie ist des Diebstahls schuldig | She is guilty of theft |
7. Common expressions with genitive
Some fixed expressions use the genitive case.
Here are more examples with the genitive case
| German | English |
|---|---|
| eines Tages | one day |
| meiner Meinung nach | in my opinion |
| guter Laune sein | to be in a good mood |
| letzten Endes | in the end |
| reinen Gewissens | with a clear conscience |
| schweren Herzens | with a heavy heart |
| stehenden Fußes | immediately |
| allen Ernstes | in all seriousness |
| leichten Sinnes | light-heartedly |
| um des lieben Friedens willen | for the sake of peace |
Examples in sentences:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Eines Tages werde ich nach Deutschland reisen | One day, I will travel to Germany |
| Meiner Meinung nach ist das keine gute Idee | In my opinion, that’s not a good idea |
| Er ging schweren Herzens weg | He left with a heavy heart |
8. Practice the genitive case German with practice exercises
Fill in the blanks with the correct genitive case form of the words!
You can practice other German cases and other German topics with our Full Practice Worksheets. Request access now, and you’ll be welcomed by the Full Practice Worksheet Library:
9. Learn the genitive case German naturally with Conversation Based Chunking
Conversation Based Chunking helps you learn genitive case usage naturally.
This method involves learning phrases (or as we like to call them – chunks) and sentences in context. This makes it easier to remember things and use the genitive case correctly.
Instead of memorizing these words and phrases solely, you immerse yourself in the language, and you use them just like native speakers do. We can already give you a head start by providing a free German Conversation Based Chunking Guide.
