Table of Contents
The German Genitive Case (Genitiv): The genitive shows possession or a close relationship between nouns — it answers “Wessen?” (whose?). The articles become des (masculine/neuter) and der (feminine/plural), and masculine and neuter nouns add -s or -es (des Mannes, des Autos). The genitive is also required after certain prepositions (während, trotz, wegen…) and a few verbs. This guide covers the four functions of the genitive, its declension, proper names, prepositions, verbs, adjective endings, common mistakes, formal vs. informal usage, and an interactive quiz.The German genitive case expresses possession and close relationships between nouns. It answers the question “Wessen?” (whose?) and, while it is sometimes avoided in casual speech, it remains essential in written, formal, and academic German. New to the case system? Start with Cases in German — Easily Explained.
Key Takeaways
- The genitive shows possession or a relationship between nouns. Find it by asking “Wessen?” (whose?).
- Articles: des (masculine), der (feminine), des (neuter), der (plural). Masculine and neuter nouns also add -s or -es.
- It is required after genitive prepositions (während, trotz, wegen, (an)statt, innerhalb, außerhalb…).
- In everyday spoken German, the possessive genitive is often replaced by von + dative (das Auto von meinem Bruder).
What Is the Genitive Case?
The genitive case (Genitiv) shows possession or a close relationship between nouns. It answers the question “Wessen?” (whose?) or “of what?”. The articles become des (masculine/neuter) and der (feminine/plural), and masculine and neuter nouns add -s or -es.Example: das Auto meines Bruders (my brother’s car) Ask “Whose car?” — meines Bruders. That phrase is in the genitive, showing that the car belongs to my brother.
Understanding German Cases
German uses four grammatical cases to show the function of nouns and pronouns in a sentence:- Nominative Case: the subject.
- Accusative Case: the direct object.
- Dative Case: the indirect object.
- Genitive Case: possession or relationship.
The Four Functions of the Genitive
The genitive shows up in four main situations:- Possession / relationship: das Haus des Lehrers (the teacher’s house).
- After genitive prepositions: während des Films (during the film).
- After genitive verbs: Wir gedenken der Opfer (we remember the victims).
- Fixed expressions & time: eines Tages (one day), erster Klasse reisen (to travel first class).
Declension of the Genitive Case
In the genitive, both the articles and the noun endings change. Notice that masculine and neuter add -s / -es to the noun, while feminine and plural add nothing.Definite Articles in the Genitive
← swipe to see the full table →
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Kinder |
| Genitive | des Mannes | der Frau | des Kindes | der Kinder |
Indefinite Articles in the Genitive
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein Mann | eine Frau | ein Kind |
| Genitive | eines Mannes | einer Frau | eines Kindes |
Noun Endings: -s or -es
Masculine and neuter nouns add an ending in the genitive singular:- -es for one-syllable nouns and nouns ending in -s, -ß, -z, -x: des Mannes, des Hauses, des Kindes.
- -s for longer nouns and nouns ending in a vowel: des Autos, des Lehrers, des Vaters.
Genitive Personal Pronouns
Genitive personal pronouns (meiner, deiner, seiner, ihrer…) do exist, but they are almost never used in modern German — you will only meet them in older or literary texts (e.g. Wir gedenken ihrer). To show possession, German uses possessive articles like mein, dein, sein instead. See German Personal Pronouns.The genitive needs the right article and the right ending.
des or der? -s or -es? Both choices start with knowing whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter. If the gender is a guess, the genitive is a guess too. The Article Trainer drills the gender of 1,000+ essential nouns filtered to your level (A1–C1), explains the rule behind every mistake, and uses spaced repetition so the genders become automatic.
Built by the native German tutor Niko with 5,000+ lessons taught · Lifetime access · 14-day money-back guarantee
Get the Article Trainer — $65 →The Genitive with Proper Names
With names, German adds -s directly to the name — with no article and, unlike English, no apostrophe:- Marias Auto (Maria’s car)
- Peters Haus (Peter’s house)
- Deutschlands Hauptstadt (Germany’s capital)
Genitive Prepositions
Some prepositions always take the genitive. Common ones include:- während (during)
- trotz (despite)
- wegen (because of)
- (an)statt (instead of)
- innerhalb (within)
- außerhalb (outside of)
- jenseits (beyond)
- dank (thanks to)
- aufgrund (due to)
- angesichts (in view of)
Examples with Genitive Prepositions
- Wir treffen uns während des Meetings. (We meet during the meeting.)
- Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren. (Despite the rain, we go for a walk.)
- Er kommt wegen der Arbeit spät. (He is late because of work.)
Genitive Verbs
A small group of verbs takes a genitive object. They are mostly formal or literary, but worth recognising.← swipe to see the full table →
| Verb | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gedenken | to commemorate | Wir gedenken der Opfer. |
| bedürfen | to require | Das bedarf einer Erklärung. |
| sich bedienen | to make use of | Sie bedient sich eines Tricks. |
| beschuldigen | to accuse of | Man beschuldigt ihn des Diebstahls. |
| sich erfreuen | to enjoy | Er erfreut sich guter Gesundheit. |
| sich rühmen | to boast of | Er rühmt sich seiner Erfolge. |
Adjective Endings in the Genitive
Adjective declension is mostly regular in the genitive:- With a definite article, an indefinite article, or a possessive, the ending is always -en: des alten Mannes, der jungen Frau, eines kleinen Kindes.
- With no article (zero article), the endings are: -en for masculine and neuter (trotz schlechten Wetters), -er for feminine (guter Gesundheit), and -er for plural (schöner Häuser).
Example Sentences in the Genitive Case
| German Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Das ist das Haus des Lehrers. | That is the teacher’s house. |
| Wir gedenken unserer Freunde. | We commemorate our friends. |
| Die Farbe des Autos ist rot. | The color of the car is red. |
| Er erfreut sich guter Gesundheit. | He enjoys good health. |
Common Mistakes with the Genitive Case
These are the genitive slips that come up most often — and how to fix each one.1. Forgetting the -s / -es on masculine and neuter nouns
The article alone is not enough; the noun needs its ending too. ❌ das Auto des Mann. ✅ das Auto des Mannes. (the man’s car) Tip: masculine/neuter genitive = des + noun + -s / -es.2. Adding an ending to feminine nouns
Feminine nouns take der and add nothing. ❌ das Haus der Fraus. ✅ das Haus der Frau. (the woman’s house) Tip: only masculine and neuter get -s / -es.3. Using the dative after genitive prepositions
In standard German, genitive prepositions take the genitive. ❌ wegen dem Regen. ✅ wegen des Regens. (because of the rain) Tip: wegen, trotz, während → genitive in writing and exams.4. Using the English apostrophe
German does not use ‘s for possession. ❌ Peter’s Auto. ✅ Peters Auto. (Peter’s car) Tip: add -s straight to the name, no apostrophe.5. Forgetting the N-Deklination
Weak masculine nouns add -n / -en, not -s. ❌ die Meinung des Students. ✅ die Meinung des Studenten. (the student’s opinion) Tip: check whether the noun follows the N-Deklination.German Genitive Quiz
Test yourself below. Pick a, b, or c — you will see the correct answer and the rule behind it right away.1. Which fits? “Das ist das Auto ___ Mannes.”
Correct: des. Mann is masculine, so the genitive article is des and the noun adds -es → des Mannes.
2. Which preposition takes the genitive? “___ des Regens bleiben wir zu Hause.”
Correct: Trotz. trotz takes the genitive → trotz des Regens. (mit takes the dative, durch the accusative.)
3. Which fits? “Die Tür ___ Wohnung ist offen.”
Correct: der. Wohnung is feminine, so the genitive article is der — and feminine nouns add no ending.
4. Which is correct? “die Farbe ___”
Correct: des Hauses. Haus is neuter → article des, and because it ends in -s the noun adds -es → des Hauses.
5. In casual spoken German, “my brother’s car” is usually said as…
Correct: das Auto von meinem Bruder. In everyday speech the genitive is often replaced by von + dative. das Auto meines Bruders is the formal/written form.
The genitive gets easy — once the genders are automatic.
Every des, der, and -s / -es ending starts with the noun’s gender. The Article Trainer turns gender into instinct: 1,000+ nouns filtered to your level, an instant rule explanation on every mistake, an end-of-round summary of your weak patterns, and spaced repetition that targets exactly the words you struggle with. One payment, lifetime access — no subscription.
Built by the native German tutor Niko with 5,000+ lessons taught
Get the Article Trainer — $65 →More Genitive Quizzes
For more practice, try these free interactive quizzes: Quizzes are great for a quick self-check — but to make der, die, das (and therefore des, der) automatic, you need structured, repeated practice. That is exactly what the Article Trainer is built for.The Genitive in Formal vs. Informal German
The genitive is alive and well in written, formal, and academic German — but in casual speech, Germans often replace the possessive genitive with von + dative:- Formal / written: das Auto meines Bruders
- Casual / spoken: das Auto von meinem Bruder
