Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show who owns something and agree in gender, number and sometimes case with the noun they replace or refer to. This guide goes over the main forms and how to use them.
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives (like mein, dein, ihr) show ownership and must agree in gender, number and case with the noun they modify. They appear before the noun.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| mein / meine | my |
| dein / deine | your (informal) |
| sein / seine | his / its |
| ihr / ihre | her / their / your (formal) |
| unser / unsere | our |
| euer / eure | your (plural informal) |
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Das ist mein Haus. | That is my house. | First person singular |
| 🏡 Ist das dein Garten? | Is that your garden? | Second person singular |
| 🏢 Sein Büro ist im dritten Stock. | His office is on the third floor. | Third person singular masculine |
| 🏬 Ihr Laden hat heute geschlossen. | Her store is closed today. | Third person singular feminine |
| 🏘️ Unser Nachbar hat neue Katzen. | Our neighbor has new cats. | First person plural |
| 🛴 Habt ihr eure Scooter geparkt? | Did you park your scooters? | Second person plural |
| 🐕 Ihr Hund bellt laut. | Their dog barks loudly. | Third person plural |
| 🧳 Ist das Ihr Koffer? | Is that your (formal) suitcase? | Formal address |
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns replace a noun and show ownership; they agree in gender, number and case with the noun they stand for and often have an added ending like -e or -en.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| meiner / meine / meins | mine |
| deiner / deine / deins | yours (informal) |
| seiner / seine / seins | his / its |
| ihrer / ihre / ihres | hers / theirs / yours (formal) |
| unserer / unsere / unsers | ours |
| eurer / eure / eures | yours (plural informal) |
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🗝️ Das ist meiner. | That is mine. | First person singular |
| 🧴 Ist das deiner? | Is that yours? | Second person singular |
| 🧢 Das ist seiner. | That is his. | Third person singular masculine |
| 👜 Ist das ihre? | Is that hers? | Third person singular feminine |
| 📚 Das sind unsere. | Those are ours. | First person plural |
| 🥤 Seid ihr das mit euren Bechern? | Is that you with your cups? | Second person plural |
| 🎒 Das sind ihre. | Those are theirs. | Third person plural |
| 🧑💼 Das ist Ihres. | That is yours (formal). | Formal address |
Using lassen
The verb lassen can change meaning depending on context: it can mean to allow, to have something done, to leave something as is, or to neglect. Pay attention to reflexives and accompaniments.
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧹 Ich lasse meine Wohnung heute reinigen. | I am having my apartment cleaned today. |
| 🛠️ Er lässt das Fenster reparieren. | He is having the window repaired. |
| 🧑🌾 Wir lassen den Garten von Profis pflegen. | We have the garden cared for by professionals. |
| 📦 Sie lässt die Möbel liefern. | She is having the furniture delivered. |
Double Genitive / von + Possessive
In German, you normally use either the genitive or a von-phrase to show possession; doubling them (des Freundes von mir) is colloquial for emphasis and sounds natural in spoken language.
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🗝️ Das ist das Auto von meinem Bruder. | That is my brother’s car. | Double genitive with noun + possessive adjective |
| 🏠 Die Schlüssel von ihrer Wohnung liegen auf dem Tisch. | The keys to her apartment are on the table. | Possessive with von + noun |
| 📅 Ich habe den Termin von unserem Nachbarn notiert. | I noted the appointment of our neighbor. | Neighbor’s appointment |
| 🧴 Kannst du das Paket von meinem Freund annehmen? | Can you accept the package from my friend? | Friend’s package |
Summary
Possessive adjectives modify nouns and agree in gender, number and case. Possessive pronouns replace nouns and also show agreement. Use genitive or von-phrases for possession, and rely on context for verbs like lassen.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025