Genitive answers the question ‘wessen?’ (whose) and is used to express ownership or belonging.
Expressing ownership
We use the genitive to indicate the owner or author of an object, decision or idea, etc. (e.g. Das Auto des Lehrers – the teacher’s car).
In the Genitiv, change the articles der and das to des, ein to eines and kein to keines. Change the article die to der, eine to einer, and keine to keiner. A specific feature of the Genitiv is the addition of the ending “-s” to nouns of the masculine and neuter gender. See the following examples:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Haus des Vaters | the father’s house |
| der Schatz des Meeres | the treasure of the sea |
| der Ball des Kindes | the child’s ball |
| das Zimmer des Nachbarn | the neighbor’s room |
| die Regeln der Lehrerin | the teacher’s rules |
| die Arbeit des Mannes | the husband’s job |
| der Computer meines Bruders | my brother’s computer |
| der Hund ihrer Schwester | her sister’s dog |
| der Ball seines Kindes | his kid’s ball |
| das Haus meiner Mutter | my mother’s house |
| das Auto meines Bruders | my brother’s car |
Prepositions that require the use of the Genitiv
The genitive always occurs after certain prepositions: während (during), wegen (because of), trotz (in spite of), aufgrund (as a result of), anstelle (instead of), and anstatt (instead of). Take a look at these examples:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| während des Films | during the movie |
| Wir haben viel gelacht während des Films. | We laughed a lot during the movie. |
| wegen des Verkehrs | because of traffic jams |
| Ich konnte wegen des Verkehrs nicht kommen. | I could not come because of traffic jams. |
| trotz des Regens | in spite of the rain |
| Trotz des Regens gehen wir spazieren. | We are going for a walk despite the rain. |
| aufgrund des schlechten Wetters | because of the bad weather |
| Sie fuhren nach Hause aufgrund des schlechten Wetters. | They went home because of the bad weather. |
| anstelle einer Pizza | instead of pizza |
| Ich esse einen Salat anstelle einer Pizza. | Instead of pizza, I eat a salad. |
| anstatt einer Blume | instead of a flower |
| Anstatt einer Blume gab er ihr einen Kuss. | Instead of a flower, he gave her a kiss. |
Nowadays, the Genitiv is not as commonly used as it used to be. In many cases in colloquial speech it is replaced by Dativ. Nevertheless, it still has its uses and it is worth being familiar with its function and knowing how to use it.
If you want to learn more about cases in German, such as Dativ or Akkusativ, read our article “Cases in German“.
