🏡 Possessive Adjectives
German possessives like "my," "your," "his," "her" and how they change by case. Free German grammar guide for learners with clear rules and examples.
The Possessive Adjectives
German has a possessive adjective for each person. These are the base forms (before any endings are added):
| Person | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| I | mein | my |
| you (informal singular) | dein | your |
| he / it | sein | his / its |
| she | ihr | her |
| we | unser | our |
| you (informal plural) | euer | your (plural) |
| they | ihr | their |
| you (formal) | Ihr | your (formal) |
Endings Follow the ein-Word Pattern
All possessive adjectives take the same endings as "ein" and "kein." The ending depends on the gender, case, and number of the noun that follows — NOT on the gender of the owner. Here is the full table using "mein" as an example (all other possessives work the same way):
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | mein (Hund) | meine (Katze) | mein (Buch) | meine (Bücher) |
| Accusative | meinen (Hund) | meine (Katze) | mein (Buch) | meine (Bücher) |
| Dative | meinem (Hund) | meiner (Katze) | meinem (Buch) | meinen (Büchern) |
| Genitive | meines (Hundes) | meiner (Katze) | meines (Buches) | meiner (Bücher) |
Special Note: euer
The possessive "euer" (your, plural informal) behaves slightly differently. When it receives an ending, the middle -e- is usually dropped to keep it easy to pronounce. This is not a grammar rule you need to "learn" — it’s just a pronunciation convenience that native speakers follow naturally.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | euer (Hund) | eure (Katze) | euer (Buch) | eure (Bücher) |
| Accusative | euren (Hund) | eure (Katze) | euer (Buch) | eure (Bücher) |
| Dative | eurem (Hund) | eurer (Katze) | eurem (Buch) | euren (Büchern) |
| Genitive | eures (Hundes) | eurer (Katze) | eures (Buches) | eurer (Bücher) |
Common Mistakes
A few traps that catch nearly every learner:
| Mistake | Why It Happens | Correct Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Using "sein" for "her" | English "his/her" maps differently in German | "sein Buch" = his book, "ihr Buch" = her book |
| Lowercase "ihr" for formal "your" | Formal "Ihr" must be capitalized | "Ihr Buch" = your (formal) book, "ihr Buch" = her/their book |
| Wrong ending for the noun’s gender | The ending matches the noun, not the owner | "seine Katze" (his cat, fem.) not "sein Katze" |
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