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POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS(Possessivpronomen)

Function
Ownership and its correlations are being conveyed. Various forms of the Possessivpronomen can be connected through und. So can Possessivpronomen and any preceding genitive attribute (Genitivattribut):


Examples

Die Possessivpronomen (The Possessive Pronouns)
  1.Person 2.Person 3.Person
  vertraulich
familiär		 höflich
distanziert		 M F N
Sing. mein dein Ihr sein ihr sein
Plur. unser euer Ihr ihr

Note: All forms of Du and Euer are capitalized in letters, etc.


The declension form - i.e. the pronoun's ending - depends on the noun. The declension of other noun-accompanying attributes is likewise governed by the noun. Specifically, the ending depends on the noun's grammatical number, gender, and declension case. See the table following.

Possessive Pronoun Endings of mein, dein, sein, ihr, Ihr, unser, euer, ihr
(see also the Table above) memorize!
  Singular Plural
M F N M, F, and N
Nom. mein- Hut
[-er], {-e}		 mein-e Katze mein- Hemd
[-es], {-e}		 mein-e Hemden
{-en}
Akk. mein-en Hut mein-e Katze mein- Hemd
[-es] {-e}		 mein-e Hemden
{-en}
Dat. mein-em Hut
{-en}		 mein-er Katze
{-en}		 mein-em Hemd
{-en}		 mein-en Hemden
Gen. mein-es Hutes
{-en}		 mein-er Katze
{-en}		 mein-es Hemdes
{-en}		 mein-er Hemden
{-en}

Comments

  • In this table, lone hyphens, --, are only to indicate the absence of any ending.
  • The ending gets changed to [-er] or [-es], when the Possesivpronomen is used as a noun with no article. Examples:
  • When the Possessivpronomen is used as a noun with article, the endings in green{...} apply. Preferred is here the use of an -ig ending. Examples, showing the equivalence of both endings.

    Note: Preferred use is that with -ig ending. This (i.e. "-ig") substantiated pronoun should not capitalized, according to dictionaries. See Duden 1 "Die Rechtschreibung" 18.Aufl. Examples:


  • Note - [e] can be dropped in the following forms:

    One [e] may be omitted in the following forms:


  • Further emphasis to ownership, abstract or real, is indicated by the use of all[er], dieser, or jener as demonstrative adjectives. Examples:
    ... all meines Besitzes;
    Nur durch all[er] seine Kunst gelang es; (It succeeded only through all his personal skill)
    In diesem ihrem eigenlichen Leben fand sie die größte Genugtuung;
    Er bereicherte uns mit diesen seinen Worten. (He enriched us with these, his personal words)
  • Note: Ownership can be ambiguous or false, when expressed in the 3.Person. To rectify or uniquely establish some of the relationships, the demonstrative pronoun, dessen or deren, may have to be used. See also the next page. Dessen is only for male singular. Otherweise, only deren may be used. Examples:

    These are examples where one can only resort to correctly reconstructing the original text's clearly expressed meaning, when translating to English.

    Go on to the next page (Demonstrative Pronouns)
    Return to Page 1, Pronouns' main page: Personal Pronoun
    Return to the IHGG Home Page

    Created: 13.04.98
    Last modified: 13.04.98
    Author: H.Vogel email: hvogel@travlang.com
    Site maintained by: H.Vogel

    Copyright (c)H.Vogel at The Travlang Company, 1998.

    URL: http://www.travlang.com/latinvision/german/ihgg/pronoun2.html