Pronouns in German (Pronomen) are words used to replace nouns and avoid repetition. They also help indicate who is speaking, who is being spoken to, or who or what is being talked about. Here’s an overview of the main types of German pronouns:

Personal Pronouns (Personalpronomen)

These refer to specific people or things. They change form based on case (nominative, accusative, dative) and number (singular, plural).

Nominative (subject): ich (I), du (you singular informal), er (he), sie (she), es (it), wir (we), ihr (you plural informal), sie (they), Sie (you formal)
Accusative (direct object): mich, dich, ihn, sie, es, uns, euch, sie, Sie
Dative (indirect object): mir, dir, ihm, ihr, ihm, uns, euch, ihnen, Ihnen

Possessive Pronouns (Possessivpronomen)

These show ownership and correspond to the personal pronouns: mein (my), dein (your), sein (his), ihr (her), unser (our), euer (your plural), ihr (their), Ihr (formal your). They agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they describe.

Reflexive Pronouns (Reflexivpronomen)

Used when the subject and object of a verb are the same. In German, reflexive verbs use mich/mir (for ich), dich/dir (for du), sich (for er/sie/es and Sie/sie).

Demonstrative Pronouns (Demonstrativpronomen)

Used to point to specific things: dieser (this), jener (that), derjenige (the one), solche (such).

Relative Pronouns (Relativpronomen)

Introduce relative clauses and refer back to a noun: der, die, das (who, which, that), and they change form based on gender, number, and case.

Interrogative Pronouns (Interrogativpronomen)

Used for asking questions: wer (who), was (what), welcher (which).

Indefinite Pronouns (Indefinitpronomen)

Refer to nonspecific persons or things: man (one), jemand (someone), niemand (no one), etwas (something), nichts (nothing).

Understanding pronouns and their cases is key to German grammar, as they affect verb conjugation and agreement within sentences.

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Subject Pronouns

A2

Possessive Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns

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Interrogative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Subject Pronouns
German subject pronouns, including their English meanings and usage examples in both languages.
Direct Object Pronouns
German direct object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action directly in a sentence, indicating who or what the action is done to.
Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns in German and English, explaining their role, usage, and differences.
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns in German (sich, mich, dich, etc.) show the subject doing something to themselves and match the subject in person and number.
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in German, including their forms, rules, and examples to show how they indicate ownership and agreement with nouns.
Demonstrative Pronouns
German demonstrative pronouns, their forms, and usage rules for pointing out specific people or things. Includes examples in German and English.
Relative Pronouns
German relative pronouns, their roles, and examples for connecting clauses and adding detail.
Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns in German, including wer, was, and the w- pronouns, with their forms and usage in questions.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

German

Pronouns

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