Apostrophes in German
The apostrophe in German (der Apostroph) is used much less in German than it is in English.
Check out our easy overview to learn when to use an apostrophe in German (and when not to!)
Use an apostrophe in German
- to show possession but only with names that end in an s sound (ce/s/ss/ß/tz/x/z)
- Examples: Johannes Brahms’ Orgelwerke
-
Grace’ neue Wohnung
- Only apostrophe, no s
- to show missing letters (e.g. in slang short forms and abbreviated place names)
- Examples: Ich habe ’ne ganze Stunde gebraucht.
- Auf dem Ku’damm (= Kurfürstendamm) in Berlin gibt es viele Restaurants.
- to shorten adverbs with hin
- Examples:
- ’nauf = hinauf
- ’nein = hinein
- with the contracted forms of auf den/auf dem and in den
- Example:
- Stell den Topf auf’n Herd. Oder steht er schon auf’m Herd?
Don’t use an apostrophe in German
- to show possession; just add the letter s
- Examples:
- Hannas Pony = Hanna’s horse
- Meyers Hund = Meyer’s dog
- Only s, no apostrophe
- when a shortened word is easy to read despite missing letters (e.g. only the final e has been dropped)
- Examples:
- Heut hab ich was Seltsames erlebt . (= heute, habe, etwas)
- Ich segle oft. (= segele)
- Red lauter. (= Rede)
- to shorten adverbs with her
- Examples:
- rauf = herauf
- rein = herein
- with contractions; (prepositions combined with a definite article, e.g. bei + dem = beim)
- Examples: Ich gehe ins Schwimmbad.
- Michael, komm doch ans Fenster!
- with plurals and other words that end in an s (der Deppenapostroph)
- Examples:
- die DVDs
- not:
die DVD’s - Ananas
- not:
Anana’s - links
- not:
link’s
The apostrophes is optional in German
- with the contracted form of es (s/’s)
-
- Examples:
- Hallo Opi, wie gehts/geht’s?
- Wenns/Wenn’s dir gefällt
- Sometimes, German uses a possessive apostrophe to avoid misunderstandings:
- Examples: Andreas Vogel ist sehr loud.
- not clear if the sentence refers to a bird that belongs to Andrea, or a person called Andreas Vogel Andrea’s Vogel ist sehr laut.
- the bird belongs to Andrea Andreas’ Vogel ist sehr laut.
- the bird belongs to Andreas
- At last we wish you to improve your German.
