Genitiv
The genitive case for possession and certain prepositions
Can express possession and use genitive prepositions
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Das ist das Auto meines Vaters.
That is my father's car.
Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen wir wandern.
Despite the bad weather, we're going hiking.
Die Meinung der Lehrerin ist wichtig.
The teacher's opinion is important.
Während des Unterrichts darf man nicht telefonieren.
During class, one may not make phone calls.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The genitive expresses possession (whose?) — the fourth German case.
| Mask. | Fem. | Neutr. | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bestimmt | des Mannes | der Frau | des Kindes | der Kinder |
| unbestimmt | eines Mannes | einer Frau | eines Kindes | — |
Masculine/neuter nouns add -(e)s. One-syllable: -es; multi-syllable: -s. Feminine/plural: no change on noun.
Genitive prepositions: wegen, trotz, während, statt/anstatt, außerhalb/innerhalb.
Spoken German often replaces genitive with von + Dativ, but genitive is preferred in writing.
- Forgetting -(e)s: ✗ des Mann → ✓ des Mannes.
- Adding -s to feminine: ✗ der Fraus → ✓ der Frau.
- Von + dative in formal writing: Prefer genitive: wegen des Wetters.
Common Error Patterns
Incorrect number word form or usage
Review number patterns and exceptions (eins as standalone vs ein before nouns)
Wrong time expression format
Review formal (14:30 Uhr) vs informal (halb drei) time expressions
Incorrect spelling based on pronunciation rules
Review German spelling conventions: ie=[iː], ei=[aɪ], ß after long vowels, ss after short vowels
Das ist das Auto meines Vaters.
That is my father's car.
Genitive: mein Vater → meines Vaters.
Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen wir wandern.
Despite the bad weather, we're going hiking.
Trotz + genitive: des schlechten Wetters.
Die Meinung der Lehrerin ist wichtig.
The teacher's opinion is important.
Genitive fem.: die Lehrerin → der Lehrerin.
Während des Unterrichts darf man nicht telefonieren.
During class, one may not make phone calls.
Während + genitive: des Unterrichts.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises