🔗 The Genitive Case
Expressing possession, using genitive prepositions, and mastering the "whose?" case
What Is the Genitive?
The genitive is the fourth German case. It primarily expresses possession and answers the question "wessen?" (whose?). In English, we use "'s" or "of" for the same purpose: "the man's book" or "the cover of the book." In spoken German, the genitive is increasingly replaced by "von" + dative (das Buch von dem Mann), but it remains essential in formal writing, after certain prepositions, and in fixed expressions. Understanding the genitive is a major step toward reading German fluently.
Forming the Genitive
In the genitive, the article changes for all genders. Masculine and neuter nouns also add -(e)s to the noun itself. Feminine and plural nouns do not change their ending — only the article changes.
| Gender | Nominative | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der Mann | des Mannes | das Auto des Mannes (the man's car) |
| Feminine | die Frau | der Frau | das Auto der Frau (the woman's car) |
| Neuter | das Kind | des Kindes | das Spielzeug des Kindes (the child's toy) |
| Plural | die Kinder | der Kinder | die Spielzeuge der Kinder (the children's toys) |
Genitive Prepositions
Several important prepositions require the genitive case. These are very common in written German and are frequently tested in language exams.
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wegen | because of | Wegen des Regens bleiben wir zu Hause. (Because of the rain, we stay home.) |
| während | during | Während des Sommers reisen wir oft. (During the summer, we often travel.) |
| trotz | despite | Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen wir spazieren. (Despite the bad weather, we go for a walk.) |
| statt / anstatt | instead of | Statt des Kaffees trinke ich Tee. (Instead of coffee, I drink tea.) |
| außerhalb | outside of | Außerhalb der Stadt gibt es viel Natur. (Outside the city, there is lots of nature.) |
| innerhalb | inside of / within | Innerhalb eines Jahres hat er Deutsch gelernt. (Within a year, he learned German.) |
Adjective Endings in Genitive
Adjective endings in the genitive follow the same three-pattern system as other cases. After a definite article, all adjective endings are -en. After an indefinite article, all endings are also -en. Without any article, the endings carry the gender signal themselves.
| Context | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After definite article | des großen Mannes | der kleinen Frau | des alten Hauses | der neuen Bücher |
| After indefinite article | eines großen Mannes | einer kleinen Frau | eines alten Hauses | (no indef. pl.) |
| Without article | großen Weines | kalter Milch | frischen Wassers | neuer Bücher |
Proper Nouns in the Genitive
Proper nouns (names) form the genitive simply by adding -s — with no apostrophe. Unlike English, German does not use an apostrophe for possession. The genitive name typically comes before the thing it possesses.
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