Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives show who something belongs to and agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, not with the owner.
Key Possessive Adjectives
The basic possessive adjectives come from forms like mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, and they change ending according to the noun's gender, number, and case.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| mein | my |
| dein | your (informal) |
| sein | his |
| ihr | her / their / your (formal) |
| unser | our |
| euer | your (plural, informal) |
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Mein Haus hat rote Fenster. | My house has red windows. |
| 🏡 Dein Garten ist voller Blumen. | Your garden is full of flowers. |
| 🏠 Sein Dach ist sehr steil. | His roof is very steep. |
| 🏠 Ihr Schornstein raucht. | Her chimney is smoking. |
| 🏠 Unser Zaun ist weiß gestrichen. | Our fence is painted white. |
| 🏠 Euer Weg ist mit Kies bedeckt. | Your (pl.) path is covered with gravel. |
| 🏠 Ihre Haustür ist aus Eiche. | Their front door is made of oak. |
| 🏠 Ihr Briefkasten hängt an der Straße. | Your (formal) mailbox hangs on the street. |
Agreement
Possessive adjectives take endings like those of definite or indefinite articles, so they must match the noun's gender, number, and case to show agreement clearly.
Forms for Feminine Nouns
Feminine nouns in the nominative and accusative singular usually cause possessive adjectives to take an ‑e ending when preceded by a definite‑article‑like ending.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🌳 Meine schöne Buche steht im Hof. | My beautiful beech tree stands in the yard. |
| 🌸 Deine bunte Blumenrabatte gefällt mir. | Your (sing.) colorful flower bed pleases me. |
| 🏡 Ihre helle Terrasse lädt zum Sitzen ein. | Her bright terrace invites you to sit. |
| 🌿 Unsere grüne Hecke schützt den Garten. | Our green hedge protects the garden. |
| 🚪 Eure saubere Markise spendet Schatten. | Your (pl.) clean awning provides shade. |
| 🏠 Ihre neue Gartenlaube sieht gemütlich aus. | Their new garden pavilion looks cozy. |
Forms for Neuter and Masculine Nouns
Neuter nouns in the nominative keep the possessive adjective ending short (like ‑es or no ending), while masculine nouns in the accusative or other cases may take an ‑en ending depending on the declension pattern.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Mein neues Gartenhaus steht hinten. | My new garden shed stands in the back. |
| 🌞 Dein großer Sonnenschirm ist bunt. | Your big sunshade is colorful. |
| 🪑 Sein hölzerner Stuhl wackelt leicht. | His wooden chair wobbles slightly. |
| 🏮 Ihr heller Laternenpfahl leuchtet weit. | Her bright lantern post shines far. |
| 🧺 Unser stabiler Picknickkorb ist voll. | Our sturdy picnic basket is full. |
| 🥾 Euer neuer Weg ist festgetreten. | Your (pl.) new path is well-trodden. |
| 🔑 Ihr rotes Türschloss funktioniert gut. | Their red door lock works well. |
Plural Forms
Plural nouns normally require the possessive adjective to have an ‑en ending if the plural is preceded by a definite‑article‑like declension, ensuring the adjective matches the case and number.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🪴 Meine Pflanzen brauchen Wasser. | My plants need water. |
| 🧴 Deine Gießkannen sind leer. | Your watering cans are empty. |
| 🧹 Seine Besen stehen an der Wand. | His brooms stand against the wall. |
| 🪣 Ihre Eimer sind bunt gemischt. | Her buckets are colorfully mixed. |
| 🧸 Unsere Gartenkissen liegen auf der Wiese. | Our garden cushions lie on the meadow. |
| 🧻 Eure Tüten sind voll Erde. | Your (pl.) bags are full of soil. |
| 🧽 Ihre Schwämme sind nass. | Their sponges are wet. |
Distinguishing sein and ihr
Sein refers to "his" or sometimes "its," while ihr can mean "her," "their," or "your" (formal); context and the sentence's subject help determine which meaning applies.
Turning Owners into Genitives
Instead of a possessive adjective, you can sometimes use the genitive case with an ‑s added to a noun or with von to express ownership more explicitly or stylistically.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 Das Dach des Hauses meines Freundes ist neu. | The roof of my friend’s house is new. |
| 🌳 Die Äste des Baumes ihrer Nachbarin hängen über den Zaun. | The branches of their neighbor’s tree hang over the fence. |
| 🧺 Der Inhalt des Korbs unseres Vermieters ist unbekannt. | The contents of our landlord’s basket are unknown. |
| 🚪 Die Farbe der Tür ihres Schwagers ist auffällig. | The color of their brother-in-law’s door is striking. |
Summary
Possessive adjectives must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify; learn the key forms like mein and ihr, pay attention to endings, and use the genitive or von for emphasis or clarity.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025