What is the Genitive Case?
The Genitive case shows possession or belonging — it answers the question "Whose?" (Wessen?).
In English we use 's or of: "the dog's owner" / "the owner of the dog".
In German, the Genitive case changes the article and sometimes the noun ending.
Genitive Articles
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definite | des | der | des | der |
| Indefinite | eines | einer | eines | — |
Masculine and neuter nouns in the Genitive add -s or -es to the noun itself. One-syllable nouns usually add -es: des Mannes, des Kindes. Multi-syllable nouns usually add -s: des Lehrers, des Mädchens.
Examples
| Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|
| Das ist das Auto des Lehrers. | That is the teacher's car. |
| Das Buch der Schülerin ist neu. | The student's book is new. |
| Die Farbe des Hauses gefällt mir. | I like the colour of the house. |
| Das Ende des Films war spannend. | The end of the film was exciting. |
Genitive with Prepositions
Some prepositions always take the Genitive:
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wegen | because of | wegen des Wetters |
| trotz | despite | trotz des Regens |
| während | during | während der Pause |
| statt/anstatt | instead of | statt des Kuchens |
Using wegen
Wegen des schlechten Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause. (Because of the bad weather, we are staying at home.) → "des schlechten Wetters" = masculine Genitive.
Spoken German
In everyday spoken German, the Genitive is often replaced by von + Dative:
- Written: das Auto des Lehrers
- Spoken: das Auto von dem Lehrer (= vom Lehrer)
Both are correct, but the Genitive is more formal and common in writing.
Real world: street and place names
German place names often use the Genitive: „Das Herz des Stadtzentrums" (the heart of the city centre) in travel guides. Official signs say „Eingang des Museums" (museum entrance) or „Tor der Universität". Even the city of Hamburg uses the Genitive in its motto.
Real world: school reports and news headlines
Newspaper headlines use the Genitive for conciseness: „Ergebnis des Spiels: 2:1" (result of the match) / „Chef der Regierung tritt zurück" (head of government resigns). School reports say: „Das Verhalten des Schülers ist vorbildlich."
Real world: weather forecasts
Weather reports: „Wegen des Sturms bleiben die Schulen geschlossen." (Because of the storm, schools remain closed.) — wegen + Genitive. „Trotz des Regens findet das Fest statt." (Despite the rain, the festival takes place.)
Tip for learners: In spoken German you can almost always use von + Dative instead of the Genitive without sounding wrong. But in writing, exams, and formal contexts the Genitive is expected — so learn the four Genitive articles (des, der, des, der) and the common prepositions (wegen, trotz, während, statt).
Practice Problems
'The colour of the sky' — how do you say this in German? (der Himmel)
Show answer
Which Genitive article does 'die Schule' (feminine) take?
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Translate: 'Despite the rain, we played football.' (der Regen)