German · A1 · Everyday language
Our Cosy Family in German
Use familiar family belongings to practise German possessive words such as mein (my), dein (your) and unser (our). Their endings depend on the noun and its role in the sentence.
What you'll learn
- Name everyday belongings and say who they belong to.
- Use possessive words for yourself, your family and other people.
- Recognise basic possessive endings with singular and plural nouns.
German phrases for our cosy family
Das ist meine Tasse.
This is my cup.
Tasse is feminine, so use meine.
Das ist deine Decke.
This is your blanket.
Decke is feminine, so use deine. Here, your refers to one person you know well.
Papa ist hier mit seiner Tasche.
Dad is here with his bag.
Sein- means his. After mit (with), the feminine noun Tasche takes seiner.
Oma ist hier mit ihrem Hut.
Grandma is here with her hat.
Ihr- means her. After mit (with), the masculine noun Hut takes ihrem.
Der Teddy hat seinen Schal.
The teddy has its scarf.
Teddy is grammatically masculine, so use sein-. Schal is the masculine direct object, giving seinen Schal.
Das ist unser Zuhause.
This is our home.
Zuhause is neuter, so unser has no added ending here.
Das sind unsere Mäntel.
These are our coats.
Use Das sind for these are. Unsere has an -e ending with this plural noun.
Deine Großeltern haben ihre Taschen.
Your grandparents have their bags.
Deine refers to one familiar person's grandparents. Ihre means their and refers to the grandparents.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
die Tasse
cup
Plural: die Tassen. A cup or mug, usually with a handle.
die Decke
blanket
Plural: die Decken.
die Tasche
bag
Plural: die Taschen.
der Hut
hat
Plural: die Hüte. For a soft winter hat, use die Mütze.
der Teddy
teddy bear
Plural: die Teddys. Short for der Teddybär.
der Schal
scarf
Plural: die Schals.
das Zuhause
home
A noun for the place where you feel at home. Write it with a capital Z.
der Mantel
coat
Plural: die Mäntel. Notice the change from a to ä.
die Großeltern
grandparents
A plural noun. Use haben (have), not hat (has).
Papa / Oma
Dad / Grandma
Familiar family names, often used without an article.
Choose the possessive word by the owner
German possessive words go before nouns. Choose the base word according to who owns something, then add any ending the noun needs.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| my | mein- | meine Tasse — my cup |
| your: one familiar person | dein- | deine Decke — your blanket |
| his / its | sein- | sein Schal — his/its scarf |
| her | ihr- | ihr Hut — her hat |
| our | unser- | unser Zuhause — our home |
| their | ihr- | ihre Taschen — their bags |
Endings after Das ist and Das sind
In these naming sentences, use the nominative form. Masculine and neuter nouns take no added ending; feminine and plural nouns take -e. The ending follows the belonging, not its owner.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine: der Hut | mein | Das ist mein Hut. — This is my hat. |
| Feminine: die Tasse | meine | Das ist meine Tasse. — This is my cup. |
| Neuter: das Zuhause | unser | Das ist unser Zuhause. — This is our home. |
| Plural: die Mäntel | unsere | Das sind unsere Mäntel. — These are our coats. |
Belongings after haben
The thing someone has is a direct object and uses the accusative case. Masculine possessives take -en. Feminine, neuter and plural forms stay the same as in the nominative.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine direct object | sein- + -en → seinen | Der Teddy hat seinen Schal. — The teddy has its scarf. |
| Plural direct object | ihr- + -e → ihre | Die Großeltern haben ihre Taschen. — The grandparents have their bags. |
Useful chunks with mit
Mit means with and always takes the dative case. For now, practise these chunks: feminine nouns take -er; masculine and neuter nouns take -em.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Feminine: die Tasche | mit seiner Tasche | Papa ist hier mit seiner Tasche. — Dad is here with his bag. |
| Masculine: der Hut | mit ihrem Hut | Oma ist hier mit ihrem Hut. — Grandma is here with her hat. |
More examples
Das ist mein Teddy.
This is my teddy.
Teddy is masculine. After Das ist, use mein without an added ending.
Oma hat ihre Decke.
Grandma has her blanket.
Ihre refers to Grandma. Decke is feminine, so the accusative form is still ihre.
Das sind unsere Taschen.
These are our bags.
Use sind and unsere with the plural Taschen.