German Possessive Articles: My, Your, His, and Her in German (A1)
Do you want to say “my dog” or “your book” in German? To do this, you need possessive articles (Possessivartikel). They show who owns something.
Today, we will learn the absolute basics in the Nominative case (the basic form of words).
The 6 Basic Possessive Words in German
Here is a simple list of the words you need to know:
| German | English | Example | English Translation |
| mein | my | Mein Hund | My dog |
| dein | your (one friend) | Dein Auto | Your car |
| sein | his | Sein Zimmer | His room |
| ihr | her | Ihr Buch | Her book |
| unser | our | Unser Haus | Our house |
| euer | your (many friends) | Euer Katze | Your cat |
How to Use Them: A Closer Look
1. Mein (My)
Use mein when you talk about your own things.
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Example: Mein Zimmer ist groß. (My room is big.)
2. Dein (Your – for one person)
Use dein when you talk to one friend, a family member, or a child.
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Example: Ist das dein Buch? (Is that your book?)
3. Sein & Ihr (His & Her)
Use sein for a man or a boy. Use ihr for a woman or a girl.
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Example (His): Sein Hund ist alt. (His dog is old.)
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Example (Her): Ihr Auto ist rot. (Her car is red.)
4. Unser & Euer (Our & Your plural)
Use unser for a group that includes you. Use euer when talking to a group of friends.
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Example (Our): Unser Hund spielt. (Our dog plays.)
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Example (Your plural): Wo ist euer Haus? (Where is your house?)
A1 Grammar Tip: The “e” Ending
In German, nouns have genders (masculine, feminine, neutral). If a word is feminine (like die Tasche / the bag) or plural (like die Bücher / the books), you just add an -e to the end of the possessive word!
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Mein $\rightarrow$ Meine Tasche (My bag)
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Dein $\rightarrow$ Deine Bücher (Your books)
Quick Check: Test Yourself!
Can you translate these three easy sentences?
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My room is blue.
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Where is your (singular) dog?
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Her book is small.