Deutsch — the genitive case
The genitive marks possession and answers wessen? (whose?). Masculine and neuter nouns take des/eines and add -(e)s: das Auto des Vaters. Feminine and plural nouns take der.
How it works
For masculine and neuter, the article becomes des (definite) or eines (indefinite) and the noun adds -es or -s: des Mannes, eines Kindes. For feminine and all plurals the article is der and the noun stays unchanged: der Frau, der Kinder. Genitive prepositions also trigger this case: wegen des Wetters, trotz des Regens.
Forms and examples
| Gender / number | Article + ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | des / eines + -(e)s | das Auto des Vaters |
| Neuter | des / eines + -(e)s | das Zimmer des Kindes |
| Feminine | der / einer | die Tasche der Frau |
| Plural | der | die Spiele der Kinder |
| Question word | wessen? | Wessen Buch ist das? — Das Buch des Lehrers. |
| After preposition | wegen, während, trotz, statt | wegen des Wetters, trotz des Regens |
Good to know
Short (one-syllable) masculine and neuter nouns usually take -es (des Mannes, des Kindes), longer ones take just -s (des Autos, des Lehrers). In everyday speech the genitive after prepositions is often replaced by the dative — wegen dem Wetter instead of wegen des Wetters — but the genitive stays standard in writing.