The genitive case (Genitiv): des/der, noun endings and prepositions
The genitive shows possession and answers Wessen?: der/das → des + noun -s/-es, die and plural → der, with no ending on the noun.
Rule
The genitive is the case of possession and of noun attributes: it answers Wessen? (whose?) and links one noun to another — das Auto meines Vaters. It normally depends on a noun, not on the verb (apart from a small formal group of verbs), and follows it; only a bare name goes in front (Annas Auto).
Two things change: the article (masculine and neuter des, feminine and plural der, likewise eines/meines) and the noun — masculine and neuter singular add -s or -es, feminine and plural nothing.
- -es is obligatory after -s, -ß, -z, -tz, -x, and a single -s after a short vowel doubles: des Hauses, des Platzes, but des Busses, des Ergebnisses. One-syllable nouns ending in a consonant normally take -es too (des Mannes, des Kindes; both des Tags and des Tages are correct); vowel-final ones take -s (des Sees, des Knies).
- -s goes on longer nouns, above all those in unstressed -er, -el, -en (des Lehrers, des Fensters) and most other multi-syllable ones (des Urlaubs; des Erfolgs or des Erfolges). Latin and Greek nouns in -us/-os stay unchanged: des Rhythmus, des Zirkus.
- Weak (n-declension) nouns take -en: des Studenten, des Nachbarn.
Names simply add -s without an apostrophe: Annas Fahrrad, Deutschlands Hauptstadt. A name already ending in -s, -ß, -x, -z or -tz takes an apostrophe instead (Max' Auto, Hans' Buch); otherwise an apostrophe is permitted only where it keeps a base form recognisable (Andrea's Blumenladen).
The six most frequent prepositions with the genitive: während, wegen, trotz, statt (anstatt), innerhalb, außerhalb (formal writing also aufgrund, angesichts, mithilfe). Wegen dem Wetter and similar dative versions are colloquial or regional rather than wrong, and it is required when a bare noun shows no genitive: wegen Geschäften. A small formal group of verbs keeps a genitive object: gedenken, bedürfen, sich erfreuen, legal jemanden einer Sache beschuldigen.
In speech, von + dative replaces it: das Auto von meinem Bruder. Writing prefers the genitive; von is obligatory when no article or adjective carries the ending (der Import von Waren).
Examples
- Das ist das Auto meines Vaters. — That's my father's car.
- Die Farbe des Hauses gefällt mir nicht. — I don't like the colour of the house.
- Der Vorschlag des Studenten wurde angenommen. — The student's proposal was accepted.
- Die Meinung der Kinder ist uns wichtig. — The children's opinion matters to us.
- Annas Fahrrad steht im Hof. — Anna's bike is in the yard.
- Max' Auto ist schon wieder kaputt. — Max's car has broken down again.
- Während der Pause habe ich telefoniert. — During the break I made a call.
- Trotz des Regens sind wir spazieren gegangen. — Despite the rain we went for a walk.
- Innerhalb einer Woche bekommen Sie eine Antwort. — You'll get an answer within a week.
- Wir gedenken der Opfer. — We commemorate the victims.
- Das ist das Auto von meinem Bruder. — That's my brother's car. (spoken, for meines Bruders)
Quick table
| Case | masculine | neuter | feminine | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der/ein/mein Mann | das/ein/mein Kind | die/eine/meine Frau | die/keine/meine Kinder |
| Genitive | des/eines/meines Mannes | des/eines/meines Kindes | der/einer/meiner Frau | der/keiner/meiner Kinder |
| Noun (m/n, except n-declension) | ending | example |
|---|---|---|
| one syllable, ends in a consonant | -es | der Mann → des Mannes, das Kind → des Kindes |
| one syllable, ends in a vowel | -s | der See → des Sees, das Knie → des Knies |
| ends in -s, -ß, -z, -tz, -x | -es (single -s doubles) | das Haus → des Hauses, der Bus → des Busses |
| longer, ends in -er, -el, -en | -s | der Lehrer → des Lehrers, das Fenster → des Fensters |
| other multi-syllable | -s (also -es) | der Urlaub → des Urlaubs, der Erfolg → des Erfolgs |
| ends in -us, -os (Latin/Greek) | no ending | der Rhythmus → des Rhythmus, der Zirkus → des Zirkus |
| n-declension (m) | -en | der Student → des Studenten |
| feminine and plural | no ending | die Frau → der Frau, die Kinder → der Kinder |
Common mistakes
- ❌ Das ist das Auto meines Vater. → ✅ Das ist das Auto meines Vaters. — masculine and neuter nouns need the -s/-es too; the article alone is not enough.
- ❌ Das ist die Tasche meiner Schwesters. → ✅ Das ist die Tasche meiner Schwester. — feminine nouns take no genitive ending; only the article changes.
- ❌ Anna's Fahrrad steht im Hof. → ✅ Annas Fahrrad steht im Hof. — the genitive -s of a name is written without an apostrophe; it is standard after -s, -ß, -x, -z, -tz (Max' Auto) and otherwise permitted only to keep a base form recognisable (Andrea's).
- ❌ Trotz des Regen sind wir spazieren gegangen. → ✅ Trotz des Regens sind wir spazieren gegangen. — after a genitive preposition the whole phrase is genitive, so the noun keeps its ending.
- ❌ Das ist das Auto von die Eltern. → ✅ Das ist das Auto von den Eltern. — von is a dative preposition; the genitive version is der Eltern.
Related
Adjective endings in the genitive (meines älteren Bruders) and the relative pronouns dessen/deren have their own chapters.
Frequently asked questions
When do you use the genitive in German?
For possession and noun attributes — it answers Wessen? (whose?) — after the genitive prepositions während, wegen, trotz, statt, innerhalb, außerhalb, and with a few formal verbs. In everyday speech von + dative often replaces it.
When is the genitive ending -s and when -es?
-es after -s, -ß, -z, -tz, -x, where a single -s doubles after a short vowel (des Busses), and normally with one-syllable nouns ending in a consonant (des Kindes, des Mannes); -s with longer nouns, especially those in -er, -el, -en (des Lehrers), and with vowel-final ones (des Sees). Latin and Greek nouns in -us/-os stay unchanged (des Rhythmus), feminine nouns and plurals take no ending.
How do you form the genitive of a name?
Name + s, without an apostrophe: Annas Auto, Peters Freundin, Deutschlands Hauptstadt. Names already ending in -s, -ß, -x, -z or -tz take an apostrophe only — Max' Auto, Hans' Buch — or you use von: das Auto von Max. A clarifying apostrophe is permitted only where it keeps the base form recognisable (Andrea's Blumenladen).
Which prepositions take the genitive?
The six most frequent are während, wegen, trotz, statt (anstatt), innerhalb and außerhalb; formal writing adds aufgrund, angesichts, mithilfe. With the dative (wegen dem Wetter) they are colloquial or regional, and the dative is required when a bare noun would show no genitive at all: wegen Geschäften.
Can I say von meinem Bruder instead of meines Bruders?
Yes — von + dative is the normal spoken form, while writing prefers the genitive. With a bare noun that has no article or adjective, von is the only option: der Import von Waren.