Genitive case
What is the Genitive case?
The Genitive case answers the question: „Wessen?“ = "Whose?" or "Of whom/what?".
It shows possession or belonging.
Rule 1: The Articles Change (The Most Important Rule!)
Instead of adding a word like "of", you change the article of the owning noun.
Here is the A2 cheat sheet for articles in the Genitive:
Gender | Definite Article (the) | Indefinite Article (a) |
|---|---|---|
Masculine (der) | des | eines |
Neuter (das) | des | eines |
Feminine (die) | der | einer |
Plural (die) | der | (no plural for "a" – but keiner for "no") |
Examples:
Das Auto des Mannes. (The car of the man. / The man's car.)
Die Farbe des Hauses. (The colour of the house.)
Die Veranstaltung der Welt. (The event of the world. / The world's event.)
Das Segelboot eines Freundes. (The sailboat of a friend.)
Rule 2: Masculine & Neuter Nouns get an extra "-s" or "-es"
This is a big one! If the owning thing is masculine or neuter, you usually add an -s or -es to the end of that noun.
Rule | Example |
|---|---|
Add -s to nouns with 2+ syllables or ending in -el, -en, -er | des Lehrers (of the teacher), des Gartens (of the garden) |
Add -es to nouns with 1 syllable (to make it easier to pronounce) | des Mannes (of the man), des Kindes (of the child) |
Important: Feminine and plural nouns DO NOT get an ending. Only masculine and neuter do!
die Tasche der Frau (no ending on "Frau")
der Fraues(Wrong!)
Rule 3: Proper Names (People's Names) just get an "-s"
If you are talking about a person's name, you don't use an article. You just add -s to the name. (If the name ends in -s, -ß, -z, -x, you add an apostrophe: Max' Auto).
Peters Boot = Peter's boat. (Instead of "Das Boot des Peter" - which sounds old-fashioned).
Annas Segel = Anna's sail.
Kiels Hafen = Kiel's harbour / The harbour of Kiel.
Rule 4: The "Spoken" Alternative (Very important for A2!)
Here is a lifesaver for A2: In spoken, everyday German, Germans almost never use the Genitive! Instead, they use „von“ + Dative case.
Formal Written (Genitive) | Spoken/Casual (Dative) |
|---|---|
Das Auto des Mannes. | Das Auto von dem Mann. |
Die Veranstaltung der Stadt. | Die Veranstaltung von der Stadt. |
You should learn to recognize the Genitive (for reading), but feel free to use the "von" version when you speak! It sounds much more natural in conversations.
Rule 5: Important Prepositions that MUST use Genitive (A2 level)
At A2, you only need to know 4 prepositions that force the noun after them into the Genitive. Learn these by heart:
Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
während | during | Während der Woche segeln wir. (During the week we sail.) |
wegen | because of | Wegen des Windes fällt die Regatta aus. (Because of the wind, the regatta is cancelled.) |
statt | instead of | Statt eines Bootes nimmt er ein Surfbrett. (Instead of a boat, he takes a surfboard.) |
trotz | despite / in spite of | Trotz des Regens segeln sie. (Despite the rain, they sail.) |
Summary Table for A2
Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
Ownership | Change the article to the Genitive form. | die Regatta der Welt |
Masculine/Neuter nouns | Add -s or -es to the noun. | des Tages, des Freundes |
People's names | Just add -s to the name. | Kiels Hafen |
Speaking | Use "von" + Dative instead. (Easier!) | von dem Hafen |
Key prepositions | Use Genitive after während, wegen, statt, trotz. | während der Ferien |
A2 Tip: Germans often use wegen and trotz with the Dative in casual speech (wegen dem Wetter), but in writing, you should stick to the Genitive table above!
Your Challenge Question (to test yourself!)
How would you say: "The harbour of the city (die Stadt) is beautiful." ?
Formal/Correct Genitive: Der Hafen der Stadt ist schön.
Spoken/Casual: Der Hafen von der Stadt ist schön.