3.5 Possessives

Solcher (such) is used mainly in the plural, with the same endings as dieser. In the singular it is usually used with ein and has the same endings as an adjective (see 4.1, ‘weak’ declension).

So ein is the most common equivalent for ‘such a’ in spoken German, with the endings of the indefinite article ein (see 3.2). It is often accompanied by a gesture indicating the size.

Derjenige (that) is most often followed by a relative clause. The first part declines like der (see 3.1), the second has the endings of an adjective (see 4.1, ‘weak’ declension).

Solchen Leuten kann man alles erzählen. You can tell people like that anything. Eine solche Kamera würde ich nie kaufen. I’d never buy a camera like that.

Sie hat mir so ein großes Eis gekauft. She bought me an ice-cream this big!

Gerade diejenige Frau,die mir helfen wollte, The very woman that was going to help me ist verschwunden. has disappeared.

Derselbe (the same). Both parts decline, like derjenige.

Er besucht dieselbe Schule wie dein Bruder. He’s at the same school as your brother.

Possessives indicate ‘possession’ of the following noun, e.g. mein Buch ‘my book’, Ihre Tochter ‘your daughter’. As in English, there is a possessive form corresponding to each PERSONALPRONOUN, e.g. ich (I) or du (you) (see 3.7). This section deals with possessive DETERMINERS. See 3.9 for possessive PRONOUNS.

singular

ich mein my du dein your er sein his

sie ihr her

es sein its

plural

wir unser our

ihr

euer your Sie Ihr your (polite)

sie

ihr their

NB For the personal pronouns ich, du etc. see 3.7. NB The polite form Sie (you) and its possessive Ihr (your) can be used to address one person, or two or more people (see 3.7). NB The -er at the end of unser and euer is part of the stem, not an ending. The endings are added to the stem, e.g. in unserem Haus, eu(e)re Reise.