German Possessive Articles: Complete Guide
Possessive articles (my, your, his, her, etc.) in German change based on the gender, case, and number of the noun they modify. They follow the same pattern as "ein/eine/ein".
The Possessive Articles
| Person | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mein | my |
| du | dein | your (informal) |
| er | sein | his |
| sie | ihr | her |
| es | sein | its |
| wir | unser | our |
| ihr | euer | your (plural informal) |
| sie/Sie | ihr/Ihr | their/your (formal) |
"euer" loses the middle -e- when it gets an ending: euer → eure, eurem, euren
Possessives in Nominativ
When the possessive article is in the nominative case (as a subject):
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mein | mein Vater | meine Mutter | mein Kind | meine Kinder |
| dein | dein Vater | deine Mutter | dein Kind | deine Kinder |
| sein | sein Vater | seine Mutter | sein Kind | seine Kinder |
Mein Bruder ist Arzt.
My brother is a doctor.
Possessives in Akkusativ
When the possessive article is in the accusative case (as a direct object):
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mein | meinen Vater | meine Mutter | mein Kind | meine Kinder |
| dein | deinen Vater | deine Mutter | dein Kind | deine Kinder |
| sein | seinen Vater | seine Mutter | sein Kind | seine Kinder |
Ich besuche meinen Onkel.
I'm visiting my uncle.
Just like "ein" → "einen", only masculine changes in accusative: mein → meinen
Possessives in Dativ
When the possessive article is in the dative case (as an indirect object):
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mein | meinem Vater | meiner Mutter | meinem Kind | meinen Kindern |
| dein | deinem Vater | deiner Mutter | deinem Kind | deinen Kindern |
| sein | seinem Vater | seiner Mutter | seinem Kind | seinen Kindern |
Ich gebe meiner Schwester ein Geschenk.
I give my sister a gift.
Er hilft seinem Freund.
He helps his friend.
Possessives in Genitiv
When showing possession of possession (rarely used in spoken German):
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mein | meines Vaters | meiner Mutter | meines Kindes | meiner Kinder |
| dein | deines Vaters | deiner Mutter | deines Kindes | deiner Kinder |
| sein | seines Vaters | seiner Mutter | seines Kindes | seiner Kinder |
Das Auto meines Vaters ist rot.
My father's car is red.
Complete Declension Pattern
Here's the full pattern for "mein" - all other possessives follow the same endings:
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | mein | meine | mein | meine |
| Akkusativ | meinen | meine | mein | meine |
| Dativ | meinem | meiner | meinem | meinen |
| Genitiv | meines | meiner | meines | meiner |
His vs. Her (sein vs. ihr)
A common source of confusion: German possessives match the owner's gender, not the object's gender:
Er liebt seine Mutter.
He loves his mother.
Sie liebt ihre Mutter.
She loves her mother.
Common Mistake
Don't confuse "sein" (his/its) with "ihr" (her/their). The possessive depends on the owner, then the ending depends on the noun being possessed.
Tips for Possessives
Two-Step Process
- First, identify the owner to pick the right possessive (mein, dein, sein, ihr...)
- Then, add the ending based on the case/gender/number of the object possessed
Same as "ein"
Possessives follow the exact same pattern as "ein/eine/ein" - if you know "einen Mann", you know "meinen Mann"!
Practice Your Possessives
Master possessive articles through interactive exercises. Practice all combinations of owners, cases, and genders!