🎯 Today's Learning Goals / Lernziele
- Learn all seven possessive bases: mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, ihr/Ihr
- Understand that possessives take the exact same endings as ein/kein
- Apply correct Nominativ endings: no ending (masc./neut.), -e (fem./plural)
- Apply correct Akkusativ endings: -en (masc.), -e (fem./plural), no ending (neut.)
- Distinguish the three meanings of 'ihr': her, their, your (formal)
- Describe family members and belongings using possessive pronouns
📚 Grammar & Rules / Grammatik
1. The Seven Possessive Bases
Each personal pronoun has a matching possessive base. These bases never change; only their endings do.
German has seven possessive bases, one for each personal pronoun you learned in Module 1. The base tells you WHO owns something. The ending tells you the gender, number, and case of the thing OWNED. Think of it as: base = owner, ending = owned thing.
| PRONOUN | POSSESSIVE | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mein- | my |
| du | dein- | your (informal, sg.) |
| er / es | sein- | his / its |
| sie (she) | ihr- | her |
| wir | unser- | our |
| ihr (you pl.) | euer- | your (informal, pl.) |
| sie (they) / Sie | ihr- / Ihr- | their / your (formal) |
Das ist mein Bruder.
— That is my brother.
💡 mein- = ich (I own)
Wo ist dein Handy?
— Where is your phone?
💡 dein- = du (you own)
Sein Auto ist neu.
— His car is new.
💡 sein- = er (he owns)
Ihre Tasche ist rot.
— Her bag is red.
💡 ihr- = sie/she (she owns)
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not confuse the possessive base with the pronoun itself. 'er' (he) becomes 'sein' (his), not 'er-'. 'sie' (she) becomes 'ihr' (her), which looks just like the pronoun 'ihr' (you pl.).
💡 Study Tip: Memorise in pairs: ich-mein, du-dein, er-sein, sie-ihr, wir-unser, ihr-euer, Sie-Ihr. The first four rhyme!
2. Possessive Endings = ein-Word Endings
Possessives take exactly the same endings as ein and kein. No new grammar to learn -- just new vocabulary.
You already know the ein-pattern from Lessons 2.3 and 2.4. Possessives follow the identical pattern: no ending for masculine and neuter Nominativ, -e for feminine and plural, and -en for masculine Akkusativ. If you can use ein/kein correctly, you can use every possessive correctly.
| CASE | MASCULINE | FEMININE | NEUTER | PLURAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | mein Bruder | meine Schwester | mein Kind | meine Eltern |
| Akkusativ | meinen Bruder | meine Schwester | mein Kind | meine Eltern |
Mein Bruder ist Lehrer.
— My brother is a teacher.
💡 Masc. Nominativ = no ending
Ich sehe meinen Bruder.
— I see my brother.
💡 Masc. Akkusativ = -en ending
Meine Schwester wohnt in Berlin.
— My sister lives in Berlin.
💡 Fem. = always -e
Mein Kind spielt gern.
— My child likes to play.
💡 Neut. Nominativ = no ending
⚠️ Common Mistake: The ONLY change in Akkusativ is masculine: mein becomes meinen, dein becomes deinen, sein becomes seinen, etc. Feminine, neuter, and plural stay the same in both cases.
💡 Study Tip: One pattern, seven words. Master 'mein-' and you automatically know 'dein-', 'sein-', 'ihr-', 'unser-', 'euer-', and 'Ihr-' -- they all work identically.
3. The Triple Meaning of 'ihr'
ihr can mean 'her' (possessive), 'their' (possessive), or -- when capitalised as Ihr -- 'your' (formal possessive). Context and capitalisation decide.
This is the most confusing word for beginners. As a pronoun, 'ihr' means 'you (plural informal)'. As a possessive, lowercase 'ihr' means either 'her' or 'their' depending on context. Capitalised 'Ihr' always means 'your (formal)', matching the formal 'Sie'. In speech you cannot hear the difference, so context is everything.
| FORM | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| ihr (lowercase) | her (possessive) | Das ist ihr Hund. (That is her dog.) |
| ihr (lowercase) | their (possessive) | Das ist ihr Haus. (That is their house.) |
| Ihr (capitalised) | your, formal (possessive) | Ist das Ihr Auto? (Is that your car?) |
Ihre Mutter ist nett.
— Her mother is nice.
💡 Context: talking about one woman
Ihre Kinder spielen.
— Their children are playing.
💡 Context: talking about a group
Ist das Ihr Schlüssel?
— Is that your key?
💡 Capitalised Ihr = formal you
Wo ist ihr Buch?
— Where is her/their book?
💡 Only context tells you which
⚠️ Common Mistake: In writing, always capitalise Ihr when you mean formal 'your'. Lowercase 'ihr' for 'her' or 'their'. Getting this wrong can confuse the reader about who owns the thing.
💡 Study Tip: When you see 'ihr-' in a text, ask: who was mentioned before? If a single woman, it means 'her'. If a group, it means 'their'. If preceded by 'Sie' (formal), it's 'Ihr' (your, formal).
4. Special Note: unser and euer
unser and euer sometimes drop a letter when they get an ending. 'unsere' can become 'unsre', and 'euere' is almost always shortened to 'eure'.
When you add the feminine/plural ending -e to 'euer', the standard form 'euere' sounds clumsy. In practice, Germans almost always say 'eure' (dropping the middle -e-). 'unser' can also contract to 'unsre' in casual speech, though 'unsere' is equally common. For 'euer', the contraction 'eure/euren/eure' is the norm, not the exception.
| BASE | NOMINATIVFEM | AKKUSATIVMASC | NOMINATIVPLURAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| unser | unsere / unsre | unseren / unsren | unsere / unsre |
| euer | eure (not euere) | euren (not eueren) | eure (not euere) |
Eure Wohnung ist schön.
— Your (pl.) apartment is nice.
💡 euer + -e = eure (drop middle -e-)
Wo ist euer Hund?
— Where is your (pl.) dog?
💡 Masc. Nom. = no ending, so no contraction
Unsere Kinder spielen.
— Our children are playing.
💡 Full form unsere is fine
Ich sehe euren Bruder.
— I see your (pl.) brother.
💡 euer + -en = euren (drop middle -e-)
⚠️ Common Mistake: Never write 'euere' -- it looks wrong to native speakers. Always contract to 'eure'. For 'unser', both 'unsere' and 'unsre' are acceptable.
💡 Study Tip: Think of 'euer' as losing its middle -e- to make room for the ending: eu_r + e = eure, eu_r + en = euren.
5. Possessives in Action: Describing Family & Belongings
Use possessives to describe relationships and ownership. Always match the ending to the OWNED noun's gender, not the owner's gender.
A common mistake is matching the possessive to the owner. 'His sister' is 'seine Schwester' (feminine ending -e) because Schwester is feminine -- even though the owner is male. The base (sein-) shows the owner is male; the ending (-e) shows the thing owned is feminine. Two pieces of information in one word!
| OWNER | OWNED | NOMINATIV | AKKUSATIV |
|---|---|---|---|
| er (he) | Bruder (m.) | sein Bruder | seinen Bruder |
| er (he) | Schwester (f.) | seine Schwester | seine Schwester |
| sie (she) | Mann (m.) | ihr Mann | ihren Mann |
| sie (she) | Kind (n.) | ihr Kind | ihr Kind |
Seine Schwester ist Lehrerin.
— His sister is a teacher.
💡 sein- (he owns) + -e (Schwester is fem.)
Ich sehe ihren Mann.
— I see her husband.
💡 ihr- (she owns) + -en (Mann is masc. Akk.)
Unser Haus ist groß.
— Our house is big.
💡 unser- (we own) + no ending (Haus is neut. Nom.)
Kennst du unsere Kinder?
— Do you know our children?
💡 unser- + -e (plural Akk.)
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do NOT match the ending to the OWNER. 'His sister' is 'seine Schwester' (feminine -e), not 'sein Schwester'. The ending always reflects the gender of the noun that follows.
💡 Study Tip: Two-step check: Step 1 -- Who owns it? (pick the base). Step 2 -- What gender/case is the owned thing? (pick the ending).
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📖 Core Vocabulary / Wortschatz (44 Words)
Click 🔊 to hear correct German pronunciation. Nouns are marked with articles: der (masculine) die (feminine) das (neuter).
| Audio | German | English | Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mein | my | possessive |
Mein Name ist Thomas. (My name is Thomas.)
|
|
| dein | your (informal, sg.) | possessive |
Ist das dein Buch? (Is that your book?)
|
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| sein | his / its | possessive |
Sein Hund ist groß. (His dog is big.)
|
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| ihr (poss.) | her | possessive |
Ihre Tasche ist rot. (Her bag is red.)
|
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| unser | our | possessive |
Unser Haus ist alt. (Our house is old.)
|
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| euer | your (informal, pl.) | possessive |
Ist das euer Auto? (Is that your (pl.) car?)
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| Ihr (poss.) | your (formal) | possessive |
Ist das Ihr Schlüssel? (Is that your key?)
|
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| derBruder, die Brüder | brother | noun (m.) |
Mein Bruder wohnt in Hamburg. (My brother lives in Hamburg.)
|
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| dieSchwester, die Schwestern | sister | noun (f.) |
Seine Schwester ist Ärztin. (His sister is a doctor.)
|
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| dieEltern (pl.) | parents | noun (pl.) |
Unsere Eltern sind nett. (Our parents are nice.)
|
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| derVater, die Väter | father | noun (m.) |
Sein Vater arbeitet viel. (His father works a lot.)
|
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| dieMutter, die Mütter | mother | noun (f.) |
Meine Mutter kocht gern. (My mother likes to cook.)
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| derMann, die Männer | husband / man | noun (m.) |
Ihr Mann ist Lehrer. (Her husband is a teacher.)
|
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| dieFrau, die Frauen | wife / woman | noun (f.) |
Seine Frau kommt aus Spanien. (His wife comes from Spain.)
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| dasKind, die Kinder | child | noun (n.) |
Unser Kind ist drei Jahre alt. (Our child is three years old.)
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| derSohn, die Söhne | son | noun (m.) |
Ihr Sohn geht in die Schule. (Her son goes to school.)
|
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| dieTochter, die Töchter | daughter | noun (f.) |
Meine Tochter lernt Deutsch. (My daughter is learning German.)
|
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| derGroßvater, die Großväter | grandfather | noun (m.) |
Unser Großvater ist 80. (Our grandfather is 80.)
|
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| dieGroßmutter, die Großmütter | grandmother | noun (f.) |
Deine Großmutter ist lustig. (Your grandmother is funny.)
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| dieGroßeltern (pl.) | grandparents | noun (pl.) |
Meine Großeltern wohnen auf dem Land. (My grandparents live in the countryside.)
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| dieSchwägerin, die Schwägerinnen | sister-in-law | noun (f.) |
Seine Schwägerin ist Ärztin. (His sister-in-law is a doctor.)
|
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| derHund, die Hunde | dog | noun (m.) |
Ihr Hund heißt Rex. (Her dog is called Rex.)
|
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| dieKatze, die Katzen | cat | noun (f.) |
Unsere Katze schläft viel. (Our cat sleeps a lot.)
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| dasAuto, die Autos | car | noun (n.) |
Sein Auto ist blau. (His car is blue.)
|
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| dasHandy, die Handys | mobile phone | noun (n.) |
Wo ist dein Handy? (Where is your phone?)
|
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| dieTasche, die Taschen | bag | noun (f.) |
Ihre Tasche ist teuer. (Her bag is expensive.)
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| derSchlüssel, die Schlüssel | key | noun (m.) |
Hast du deinen Schlüssel? (Do you have your key?)
|
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| dasBuch, die Bücher | book | noun (n.) |
Mein Buch ist interessant. (My book is interesting.)
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| dieWohnung, die Wohnungen | apartment | noun (f.) |
Eure Wohnung ist schön. (Your (pl.) apartment is nice.)
|
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| dasHaus, die Häuser | house | noun (n.) |
Unser Haus ist groß. (Our house is big.)
|
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| derName, die Namen | name | noun (m.) |
Ihr Name ist Wagner. (Her name is Wagner.)
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| dieFamilie, die Familien | family | noun (f.) |
Meine Familie ist klein. (My family is small.)
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| dasFoto, die Fotos | photo | noun (n.) |
Ist das dein Foto? (Is that your photo?)
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| derLehrer, die Lehrer | teacher (m.) | noun (m.) |
Unser Lehrer ist streng. (Our teacher is strict.)
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| dieLehrerin, die Lehrerinnen | teacher (f.) | noun (f.) |
Ihre Lehrerin ist nett. (Their teacher is nice.)
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| gehören | to belong to | verb |
Das Buch gehört meinem Bruder. (The book belongs to my brother.)
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| zeigen | to show | verb |
Ich zeige dir mein Foto. (I'll show you my photo.)
|
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| beschreiben | to describe | verb |
Beschreib deine Familie! (Describe your family!)
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| neben | next to | preposition |
Die Frau neben deinem Mann. (The woman next to your husband.)
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| neu | new | adjective |
Sein Auto ist neu. (His car is new.)
|
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| alt | old | adjective |
Unser Haus ist alt. (Our house is old.)
|
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| rot | red | adjective |
Ihre Tasche ist rot. (Her bag is red.)
|
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| interessant | interesting | adjective |
Dein Buch ist interessant. (Your book is interesting.)
|
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| nett | nice | adjective |
Eure Eltern sind nett. (Your (pl.) parents are nice.)
|
💬 Key Conversational Phrases / Redemittel
Das ist mein/meine ...
That is my ... · Introducing family members or belongings
Ist das dein/deine ...?
Is that your ...? · Asking about someone's possession
Wem gehört das?
Who does that belong to? · Asking about ownership
Das gehört mir / dir / ihm / ihr.
That belongs to me / you / him / her. · Answering ownership questions
Das sind unsere Kinder.
Those are our children. · Introducing family to others
Sein/Ihr ... heißt ...
His/Her ... is called ... · Talking about someone else's family/pets
Meine Familie ist groß/klein.
My family is big/small. · Describing your family
Ich habe einen Bruder / eine Schwester.
I have a brother / a sister. · Talking about siblings
Kennst du meinen Bruder?
Do you know my brother? · Introducing people (Akkusativ)
Wo ist dein/Ihr ...?
Where is your ...? · Asking about someone's belongings
🗣️ Practical Dialogue / Dialog
Situation: Familienfotos (Family Photos)
Bjorn:
Ist das deine Familie?
Is that your family?
Halima:
Ja! Das ist mein Mann, und das sind unsere Kinder.
Yes! That is my husband, and those are our children.
Bjorn:
Und wer ist die Frau neben deinem Mann?
And who is the woman next to your husband?
Halima:
Das ist seine Schwester, meine Schwägerin.
That is his sister, my sister-in-law.
Bjorn:
Und ist das euer Hund?
And is that your (pl.) dog?
Halima:
Nein, das ist ihr Hund -- der Hund von meiner Schwägerin.
No, that is her dog -- my sister-in-law's dog.
Bjorn:
Eure Familie ist wirklich groß!
Your family is really big!
Halima:
Ja, und das sind noch nicht alle. Meine Eltern fehlen auf dem Foto.
Yes, and that's not even everyone. My parents are missing from the photo.