Der Genitiv
The fourth and final German case marks possession or a close relationship between two nouns - "the neighbor's car," "the end of the street." You already handle nominative, accusative, and dative (Lessons: haben & Accusative, Dative Case); genitive completes the set.
| Gender | Article | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | des (+ noun -s/-es) | des Mannes (of the man) |
| feminine | der | der Frau (of the woman) |
| neuter | des (+ noun -s/-es) | des Kindes (of the child) |
| plural | der | der Kinder (of the children) |
The rule that trips people up: for masculine and neuter nouns, the noun itself also gets an ending, usually -s (or -es for short nouns): der Mann → des Mannes.
Quick check: for masculine and neuter nouns in the genitive, what happens to the noun itself, not just the article?
Das ist das Auto des Nachbarn. (That is the neighbor's car.)
Am Ende der Straße ist ein Supermarkt. (At the end of the street is a supermarket.)
The genitive phrase usually comes right after the noun it describes, unlike English "the neighbor's car," where the possessor comes first.
Quick check: does the German genitive phrase usually come before or after the noun it describes?
In casual speech, many Germans replace the genitive with von + dative: "das Auto von dem Nachbarn" instead of "das Auto des Nachbarn." Both are understood, but the genitive is still expected in writing, official letters, and the B1 exam - so it is worth learning properly even if you hear the von-version more often on the street.
A small set of prepositions always take the genitive case: wegen (because of), während (during), trotz (despite). A later lesson covers these in full - for now, just notice the pattern: wegen des Wetters (because of the weather).
1. "The neighbor's car" (masculine noun Nachbar) - das Auto ______ Nachbarn.
2. What informal alternative to the genitive do many Germans use in speech?
Aligned with standard Goethe-Zertifikat B1 / telc B1 exam syllabus topics.
Want to practice turning a few of your own possessions into genitive phrases? Ask your teaching agent.