A1 German GrammarPossessive Adjectives
Learn German possessive adjectives (mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer) to express ownership. Understand how they change based on gender, case, and number of the noun they modify.
1Basic Possessive Adjectives
German possessive adjectives indicate who owns something. Each pronoun has its own possessive form. The endings change based on the gender and case of the following noun, similar to 'ein'.
Possessive Adjectives
| Pronoun | Possessive | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mein | my |
| du | dein | your (informal) |
| er | sein | his |
| sie | ihr | her |
| es | sein | its |
| wir | unser | our |
| ihr | euer | your (plural) |
| sie/Sie | ihr/Ihr | their/your (formal) |
Examples
Das ist mein Buch.
That is my book.
'Mein' + neuter noun
Wo ist dein Auto?
Where is your car?
'Dein' + neuter noun
Er liebt seine Mutter.
He loves his mother.
'Seine' + feminine noun
Unser Haus ist groß.
Our house is big.
'Unser' + neuter noun
2Nominative Case Endings
In the nominative case (subject), possessive adjectives take the same endings as 'ein'. Masculine and neuter have no ending, feminine and plural add '-e'.
Nominative Endings (using 'mein')
| Gender | Article | Possessive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ein | mein | mein Vater (my father) |
| Feminine | eine | meine | meine Mutter (my mother) |
| Neuter | ein | mein | mein Kind (my child) |
| Plural | — | meine | meine Kinder (my children) |
Examples
Mein Bruder ist Arzt.
My brother is a doctor.
Masculine: no ending
Deine Schwester ist nett.
Your sister is nice.
Feminine: -e ending
Sein Haus ist alt.
His house is old.
Neuter: no ending
Ihre Eltern sind jung.
Her parents are young.
Plural: -e ending
3Accusative Case Endings
In the accusative case (direct object), only masculine possessives change. They add '-en'. Feminine, neuter, and plural remain the same as nominative.
Accusative Endings (using 'mein')
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | mein | meinen | meinen Vater (my father) |
| Feminine | meine | meine | meine Mutter (my mother) |
| Neuter | mein | mein | mein Kind (my child) |
| Plural | meine | meine | meine Kinder (my children) |
Examples
Ich sehe meinen Freund.
I see my friend.
Masculine accusative: -en
Sie ruft ihren Bruder an.
She calls her brother.
Masculine accusative: -en
Wir lieben unser Land.
We love our country.
Neuter accusative: no change
Er sucht seine Schlüssel.
He's looking for his keys.
Plural accusative: -e
4Special Forms: euer
The possessive 'euer' (your, plural) loses the middle '-e-' when adding endings. This makes it easier to pronounce. The same pattern applies to all cases.
Forms of 'euer'
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | euer | euren | your (pl.) |
| Feminine | eure | eure | your (pl.) |
| Neuter | euer | euer | your (pl.) |
| Plural | eure | eure | your (pl.) |
Examples
Euer Lehrer ist streng.
Your teacher is strict.
'Euer' - masculine, no ending
Ich mag eure Wohnung.
I like your apartment.
'Eure' - feminine, drops middle e
Wo sind eure Bücher?
Where are your books?
'Eure' - plural
Ich kenne euren Vater.
I know your father.
'Euren' - accusative masculine