Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the German possessive articles in the dative case, such as meinem, deiner, and unseren, to indicate to whom something is given or happens, adapting to gender and number of the indirect object.
Person (Person)Maskulin / Neutrum (Masculine / Neuter)Feminin (Feminine)Plural (Plural)
Ichmeinemmeinermeinen
Dudeinemdeinerdeinen
Er / Esseinemseinerseinen
Sie (singular)ihremihrerihren
Wirunseremunsererunseren
Ihreuremeurereuren
Sie (plural)ihremihrerihren

Exercise 1: Possessivartikel - Dativ

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

deinem, meiner, ihren, unseren, seinem, eurem, ihrer

1. Du:
Ich helfe ... Bruder günstige Produkte zu kaufen.
(I help your brother buy affordable products.)
2. Ich:
Du gibst ... Schwester deine Karte.
(You give my sister your card.)
3.
Sie:
(You)
4.
Ihr:
(Your)
5.
Sie:
(You)
6. Sie:
Wir sprechen mit ... Mutter über den Preis.
(We are speaking with her mother about the price.)
7. Er:
Er zeigt ... Kollegen den Dollar.
(He is showing his colleague the dollar.)
8.
Wir:
(We)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich gebe ___ Freund das Geld für das Buch.

(I give ___ friend the money for the book.)

2. Kannst du ___ Mutter das Geschenk bringen?

(Can you bring the gift to ___ mother?)

3. Wir geben ___ Kollegen genug Geld für das Mittagessen.

(We give ___ colleague enough money for lunch.)

4. Sie zeigt ___ Freundin die Münzen.

(She shows ___ friend the coins.)

5. Ich leihe ___ Kollegen etwas Geld.

(I lend ___ colleague some money.)

6. Der Verkäufer gibt ___ Kunden das Wechselgeld.

(The seller gives ___ customer the change.)

Understanding Possessive Articles in the Dative Case

This lesson focuses on the use of possessive articles in the dative case in German. Possessive articles indicate ownership or association and must agree with the indirect object of the sentence, showing to whom something is given or for whom something happens.

The Role of the Dative Case

In German, the dative case is used primarily for indirect objects – in other words, the person or entity that is the recipient or beneficiary of an action. When using possessive articles here, they must change according to the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) of the noun they refer to.

Possessive Articles Table

Here is a summary of the possessive articles in the dative case for different persons:

PersonMasculine / NeuterFemininePlural
Ich (I)meinemmeinermeinen
Du (You singular informal)deinemdeinerdeinen
Er / Es (He / It)seinemseinerseinen
Sie (She)ihremihrerihren
Wir (We)unseremunsererunseren
Ihr (You plural informal)euremeurereuren
Sie (They)ihremihrerihren

Key Points to Remember

  • Possessive articles must match the gender and number of the noun they describe in dative case.
    Example: "Ich gebe meinem Freund das Buch." (I give my friend the book.)
  • In plural, the possessive article commonly ends with -en in the dative.
    Example: "Ich leihe meinen Kollegen Geld." (I lend my colleagues money.)
  • Masculine and neuter nouns share the same possessive article endings in dative: -em.
  • Feminine nouns take the ending -er.

Useful German Phrases From Lesson Examples

  • Ich gebe meinem Freund das Geld für das Buch.
  • Kannst du deiner Mutter das Geschenk bringen?
  • Wir geben unserem Kollegen genug Geld.
  • Sie zeigt ihrer Freundin die Münzen.
  • Ich leihe meinen Kollegen etwas Geld.
  • Der Verkäufer gibt ihrem Kunden das Wechselgeld.

Differences and Useful Notes for English Speakers

Unlike English, German requires possessive articles to change depending on case, gender, and number, especially in indirect object positions marked by dative case. English possessive adjectives like "my", "your", "his" do not change form according to the noun's case. Learning the specific endings (meinem, meiner, meinen) is essential.

Practice phrases that combine a verb, an indirect object, and a possessive article, such as "Ich gebe meinem Freund das Buch" (I give my friend the book), help internalize this grammatical structure.

Remember the key prepositions and verbs that require dative (e.g., geben – to give, zeigen – to show, leihen – to lend) as these trigger the use of dative possessive articles.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 12:25