Deutsch · A2 · grammar · 4 minutes
Possessives across cases
Decline mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, and Ihr like ein-words.
Understand the choice
A single sentence can expose two cases while the same owner stays unchanged. The noun and its grammatical role determine meinem versus meine.
Core rule: Possessives take endings based on the possessed noun’s gender, number, and case, not the owner; helfen requires dative and besuchen accusative.
Notice it in context
Ich helfe meinem Bruder und besuche meine Schwester.
I help my brother and visit my sister.
Meinem Bruder is masculine dative after helfen; meine Schwester is feminine accusative after besuchen.
Sie fährt mit ihrem Auto zu ihren Eltern.
She drives her car to her parents.
Both mit and zu require dative: ihrem Auto, ihren Eltern.
Wir finden unseren Schlüssel nicht.
We cannot find our key.
Masculine accusative Schlüssel selects unseren.
What to remember
- Euer drops the second e before many endings: eure, euren, eurem.
- Formal Ihr is capitalized just like formal Sie.
Common trap: Do not choose sein or ihr based on the object. The owner chooses the stem; the possessed noun chooses the ending.