Study about the genitive case in German
The genitive case in German
The genitive case in German is a strange phenomenon these days. It’s currently being wiped out of the language… but in the meantime is still used sometimes . If you do choose to learn the genitive case, you’ll probably understand the news , legal documents , and literature a stitch better .
Using the Genitive Case :
The genitive in German will mostly be used to show possession . The question you will use to get the genitive is wessen? (whose?) . For example :
- Das ist das neue Auto des Mannes . (This is the man’s new car.)
- Wo ist der Hut meines Vaters? (Where is my father’s hat?)
Except for using it for showing possession, the genitive can also be used with different prepositions, like trotz (despite), wegen (because of), während (during), aufgrund (due to), or anstatt (instead of). The article and noun following the proposition will have to take the genitive case . For example :
- Trotz des Regens (genitive), sind wir in den Park gegangegn . (Despite the rain, we went to the park.)
- Meine Familie war während des Sommers (genitive) am Meer. (My family was at the seaside during summer.)
Articles in the Genitive Case in German :
Just like with all the other cases in German , the genitive will have a different article than der, die, das. Let’s look at two charts to see what the definite and indefinite article will look like in the genitive case :
Definite article der :
Indefinite article ein :
Avoid the genitive case in German :
Lastly, there is a third way to indicate one noun’s connection to (or possession of) another noun . We can use possessive determiners (my, your, his, her, our, etc.) to indicate possession in any of the four cases, not just the genitive. In fact , possessive determiners are often used as a way to avoid expressing possession using the genitive case at all .
Genitive Case Declensions :
The two types of declensions that we use for all determiners and adjectives : strong declensions & weak declensions .
- Strong declensions better (but not flawlessly) indicate the gender/case of the noun because they are the most varied .
- Weak declensions do not indicate the gender/case of the noun because they have almost no variation (there are just two options for any gender/case combo: -e or -n).
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my girlfriend’s cat
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my boyfriend’s dog
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my children’s toys
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This is my colleague’s overcoat.
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That is my colleague’s car.
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That is my colleagues’ work.
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The button from the shirt is gone.
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The garage key is gone.
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The boss’ computer is not working.
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Who are the girl’s parents?
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How do I get to her parents’ house?
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The house is at the end of the road.
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What is the name of the capital city of Switzerland?
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What is the title of the book?
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What are the names of the neighbour’s / neighbor’s (am.) children?
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When are the children’s holidays?
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What are the doctor’s consultation times?
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What time is the museum open?
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