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This lesson covers the German possessive articles in the accusative case, such as meinen, deine, and sein, showing possession and matching gender and number of objects like 'meinen Brief' or 'deine Adresse'.
Person (Person)Maskulin (masculine)Feminin (feminine)Neutrum (neuter)Plural (Plural)
Ich (I)meinenmeinemeinmeine
Du (You)deinendeinedeindeine
Er / Es (He / It)seinenseineseinseine
Sie (singular) (She)ihrenihreihrihre
Wir (We)unserenunsereunserunsere
Ihr (Your)eureneureeuereure
Sie (plural) (You (plural))ihrenihreihrihre

Exceptions!

  1. "Euer" loses the -e before it receives an ending: e.g. "euren Vater" (not: "eueren Vater")

Exercise 1: Possessivartikel - Akkusativ

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

unser, euren, mein, deinen, meine, ihre, unseren

1. Sie:
Sie kennt ... Postleitzahl nicht.
(She does not know her postcode.)
2. Ich:
Du gibst ... E-Mail-Adresse.
(You give my email address.)
3. Wir:
Ihr nehmt ... Handy.
(You take our mobile phone.)
4. Ich:
Ich gebe ihr ... Handy.
(I give her my mobile phone.)
5. Du:
Ich sehe ... Kontakt.
(I see your contact.)
6. Ihr:
Sie sprechen über ... Brief.
(You are talking about your letter.)
7. Du:
Ich verstehe ... Bruder.
(I understand your brother.)
8. Wir:
Wir sehen ... Wohnort.
(We see our place of residence.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich sehe ___ neuen Brief, den mein Kollege geschrieben hat.

(I see ___ new letter that my colleague wrote.)

2. Kannst du mir ___ Adresse geben?

(Can you give me ___ address?)

3. Ich habe ___ neuen Computer gekauft.

(I bought ___ new computer.)

4. Wir mieten ___ Wohnung in der Innenstadt.

(We rent ___ apartment downtown.)

5. Sie sucht ___ Schlüssel, aber sie findet ihn nicht.

(She is looking for ___ key but she can't find it.)

6. Kannst du bitte ___ Stift nehmen?

(Can you please take ___ pen?)

Understanding Possessive Articles in the Accusative Case (Possessivartikel - Akkusativ)

This lesson introduces the German possessive articles used in the accusative case. These articles express ownership or possession and change their form depending on the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) of the noun they modify.

Possessive Articles Overview

In German, the possessive article must agree with the noun it describes in gender and number. When the noun is the direct object of a sentence, the accusative case is required, and the possessive takes specific endings.

PersonMasculineFeminineNeuterPlural
Ich (I)meinenmeinemeinmeine
Du (You, informal singular)deinendeinedeindeine
Er / Es (He / It)seinenseineseinseine
Sie (She, singular)ihrenihreihrihre
Wir (We)unserenunsereunserunsere
Ihr (You, plural informal)eureneureeuereure
Sie (They)ihrenihreihrihre

Note: The possessive article "euer" loses the "e" before adding an ending in the accusative masculine singular form. For example, "euren Vater" is correct, not "eueren Vater".

Usage Examples

  • Ich sehe meinen neuen Brief. (I see my new letter.)
  • Kannst du mir deine Adresse geben? (Can you give me your address?)
  • Sie sucht ihren Schlüssel. (She is looking for her key.)
  • Kannst du bitte meinen Stift nehmen? (Can you please take my pen?)

Key Points for Learners

  • Always match the possessive article with the gender and number of the noun in the accusative case.
  • Masculine accusative endings usually add "-en": "meinen", "deinen", etc.
  • Feminine and plural accusative forms are similar to the nominative: "meine", "deine", "unsere", etc.
  • The neuter form usually remains unchanged: "mein", "dein", "unser".

Difference Between English and German Possessive Articles

In English, possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, our, their) do not change form based on case or gender. German possessive articles, however, change according to the grammatical case, gender, and number, making correct endings essential for clear communication.

Useful phrases to remember:

  • my pen – mein Stift (neuter, nominative or accusative no ending)
  • my pen (accusative masculine) – meinen Stift
  • your address – deine Adresse (feminine, accusative same as nominative)
  • our apartment – unsere Wohnung (feminine accusative)

Mastering these endings will help you understand and form sentences more accurately in German.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 10:34