Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson teaches the demonstrative pronouns "dieser," "diese," and "dieses" in German, showing how to use them correctly in different cases (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ) and genders (masculine, feminine, neuter). Key examples include "dieser Stuhl," "diese Lampe," and "dieses Bild."
  1. The pronoun adapts to case, number, and gender.
Kasus (Case)Maskulin (Masculine)Feminin (feminine)Neutrum (neuter)Plural (Plural)
Nominativ (Nominative)dieser (this)diese (these)dieses (this)diese (these)
Akkusativ (Accusative)diesen (this)diese (these)dieses (this)diese (these)
Dativ (dative)diesem (this)dieser (this)diesem (this)diesen (this)

Exercise 1: Das Demonstrativpronomen (dieser, diese, dieses)

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Dieser, dieses, diesem, Dieses, Diese, diesen, diese

1.
Wir arbeiten mit ... Rechteck aus Pappe.
(We are working with this rectangle made of cardboard.)
2.
... Dreieck passt nicht in das Quadrat.
(This triangle does not fit into the square.)
3.
Schau mal! ... Linie ist sehr gerade.
(Look! This line is very straight.)
4.
Ich finde ... Kreis schöner als den daneben.
(I find this circle more beautiful than the one next to it.)
5.
Wir wählen ... Rechteck, weil es besser passt.
(We choose this rectangle because it fits better.)
6.
Ich finde ... Linie zu krumm.
(I find this line too crooked.)
7.
Sie zeigen den Kindern ... Linien auf dem Papier.
(They show the children these lines on the paper.)
8.
... Kreis ist rund.
(This circle is round.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. ___ Stuhl ist sehr bequem.

(___ chair is very comfortable.)

2. Ich mag ___ Lampe im Wohnzimmer.

(I like ___ lamp in the living room.)

3. Kannst du ___ Bild beschreiben?

(Can you describe ___ picture?)

4. Ich sehe ___ Tisch im Büro.

(I see ___ table in the office.)

5. ___ Formen sind sehr interessant.

(___ shapes are very interesting.)

6. Wir benutzen ___ Glas jeden Tag.

(We use ___ glass every day.)

Understanding the Demonstrative Pronouns: dieser, diese, dieses

In this lesson, you will learn about the German demonstrative pronouns dieser, diese, and dieses. These pronouns are used to point out or emphasize a specific object or person. Their form changes based on the grammatical case (Kasus), gender (Genus), and number (Numerus) of the noun they refer to.

Forms of Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns adapt depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural, and also according to the case: nominative, accusative, and dative. Below is a summary:

CaseMasculineFeminineNeuterPlural
Nominativedieserdiesediesesdiese
Accusativediesendiesediesesdiese
Dativediesemdieserdiesemdiesen

Usage

Use these pronouns to clearly indicate a particular item or person:

  • Dieser Stuhl ist sehr bequem. (This chair is very comfortable.)
  • Ich mag diese Lampe im Wohnzimmer. (I like this lamp in the living room.)
  • Kannst du dieses Bild beschreiben? (Can you describe this picture?)

Important Notes on Usage and Structure

These pronouns are essential for specifying and differentiating objects or people in conversation and writing. Recognizing their endings helps you match them correctly in different contexts.

Comparison with English

Unlike English, where “this” and “these” do not change form, German demonstrative pronouns vary according to gender, case, and number. This means you need to remember the different forms such as dieser for masculine nominative singular, but diesen for masculine accusative singular. English learners should pay special attention to these endings to use them accurately.

Useful Phrases and Words

  • dieser – this (masculine, nominative)
  • diese – this/these (feminine singular and plural)
  • dieses – this (neuter singular)
  • den – the (accusative masculine definite article, related to pattern recognition)

Mastering these forms will greatly improve your precision when referring to specific things in German.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 02:32