Genitivartikel
Genitive articles
The genitive is the fourth case and answers the question "whose?". It shows possession or belonging and links two nouns: das Auto des Mannes (whose car? – the man's).
Important: with masculine and neuter nouns, not only the article ("des") but also the noun itself takes -s or -es (short words usually -es). Feminine and plural only take "der", with no ending on the noun.
| Gender | Article | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | des | des Mannes (the man's) |
| neuter | des | des Kindes |
| feminine | der | der Tasche (of the bag) |
| plural | der | der Kinder |
Note:
- The genitive usually comes after the first noun: das Ende des Films.
- Only masc./neuter nouns take -s/-es.
- In spoken German the genitive is often replaced by "von" + dative (das Auto von dem Mann).
Examples:
- Das Auto des Mannes ist neu. (The man's car is new.)
- Die Farbe der Tasche gefällt mir. (I like the colour of the bag.)
- Das ist das Zimmer des Kindes. (That's the child's room.)
Das Auto ___ Mannes ist neu.