Possessive pronouns - German

Using Possessivpronomen in German

Possessive pronouns in German show ownership or belonging, just like "my," "your," "our," and "their" do in English. They must match the gender, number, and case of the noun they describe. Here are some ways to use the key possessive pronouns with nouns in statements:

• mein Buch – "my book"
• dein Hund – "your dog" (informal, singular)
• sein Auto – "his car"
• ihr Haus – "her house" or "their house" (context will show which is meant)
• unser Lehrer – "our teacher"
• euer Garten – "your (plural, informal) garden"

When using these pronouns in sentences, position them before the noun:

• Mein Hund schläft.
• Dein Fahrrad ist neu.
• Sein Zimmer ist groß.
• Ihr Computer funktioniert nicht.
• Unser Tisch ist rund.
• Euer Haus ist schön.

For plural or formal, use appropriate endings and pronouns:

• Ihr Auto ist rot. (can mean both "her car" or formally "your car" if capitalized)

Possessive pronouns change endings according to gender, number, and case but for straightforward statements using nominative case, these forms are most common. Always make sure the possessive matches the person and the noun in gender/number.