Der Genitiv
The genitive is the fourth and last German case - it marks possession ("the woman's car," "of the city"). Good news: at A1-2 you mostly need to recognize it in writing (signs, forms, formal letters) rather than produce it, because everyday spoken German increasingly replaces it with von + dative (Lesson 18).
| Gender | Genitive |
|---|---|
| masculine | des (+s/-es on the noun) |
| feminine | der |
| neuter | des (+s/-es on the noun) |
| plural | der |
das Auto des Mannes (the man's car - formal/written)
das Auto von dem Mann (same meaning, spoken register - von always triggers dative, Lesson 18)
This is genuinely what most Germans say out loud in casual conversation. The genitive survives mainly in writing, fixed phrases, and more formal registers - useful to recognize, not urgent to produce fluently at your level.
For names, genitive is simple and still common even in speech - just add -s, no apostrophe:
Annas Wohnung (Anna's apartment)
Peters Auto (Peter's car)
This is the one genitive form worth actively using - it's simple, common, and close to the English pattern (minus the apostrophe).
1. What's the everyday spoken alternative to the genitive?
2. "Anna's apartment" - ______ Wohnung.
3. Genitive article for masculine and neuter?
4. Does German use an apostrophe before genitive -s on a name?
5. Where does genitive mainly survive - speech or writing?
Cross-checked against the Goethe-Institut A1 practice materials.
Come across a genitive construction in a real document you're unsure about? Ask your teaching agent to explain it.