Basic Chart: der/das/die, ein-words, Pronouns

Basic Chart of Forms of der/das/die, ein-words, Pronouns

Click the link for a PDF of the “Basic Chart” (also including the two-way prepositions) that will print on one page!

Learn the two charts on this page well, and everything else you do in German will become a lot easier for you!

  • Note on the pronoun “they” for visitors to this page who are not enrolled in University of Michigan German courses: in our first- and second-year German courses, we use the English pronoun “they” (with singular verb forms) as a gender neutral pronoun in German. There is no consensus yet on gender neutral pronouns in German, so of the various options that have been proposed, we have chosen this one since it is particularly easy for speakers of English to learn.

Der/das/die and Ein-word endings (including endings for the possessive articles mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer)

Pronouns and Possessive Articles
Practice Exercises

Der/das/die and Ein-word endings (including endings for the possessive articles mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer)

  Maskulin Neutrum Feminin Plural
Nominativ der
ein
(==>mein, dein, sein, ihr, their, unser, euer)		 das
ein
(==>mein, dein, sein, ihr, their, unser, euer)		 die
eine
(==>meine, deine, seine, ihre, their, unsere, eure)		 die
(keine)
(==>meine, deine, seine, ihre, their, unsere, eure)
Akkusativ
bis, für, durch, gegen, ohne, um		 den
einen
(==>meinen, deinen, seinen, ihren, their, unseren, euren)		 das
ein
(==>mein, dein, sein, ihr, their, unser, euer)		 die
eine
(==>meine, deine, seine, ihre, their, unsere, eure)		 die
(keine)
(==>meine, deine, seine, ihre, their, unsere, eure)
Dativ
aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu		 dem
einem
(==>meinem, deinem, seinem, ihrem, their, unserem, eurem)		 dem
einem
(==>meinem, deinem, seinem, ihrem, their, unserem, eurem)		 der
einer
(==>meiner, deiner, seiner, ihrer, their, unserer, eurer)		 den + n
(keinen + n)
(==>meinen, deinen, seinen, ihren, their, unseren, euren + n)
Genitiv
(an)statt, trotz, während, wegen		 des + (e)s
eines + (e)s
(==>meines, deines, seines, ihres, their, unseres, eures + (e)s)		 des + (e)s
eines + (e)s
(==>meines, deines, seines, ihres, their, unseres, eures + (e)s)		 der
einer
(==>meiner, deiner, seiner, ihrer, their, unserer, eurer)		 der
(keiner)
(==>meiner, deiner, seiner, ihrer, their, unserer, eurer)

Mnemonic advice

  • Note the ein-word endings are the same as the der/das/die endings, except in the masculine and neuter nominative and the neuter accusative, where the ein-words have no ending.
  • Once you know the nominative forms of der/das/die, you essentially know the accusative forms, which are the same except for the masculine accusative, where “der” changes to “den.”
  • For the Dative, the -m and -r endings are like the endings of English “him” and “her” as in “for him” and “for her.”
  • For the Genitive, the -s and -r endings are like the endings of English “his” and “her.”
  • To remember the accusative prepositions, use the acronym “O Fudge” [ohne, für, um, durch, gegen], or ask your instructor about chanting “Durch-für-gegen-ohne-um, Deutsch zu lernen ist nicht dumm.”  For the dative prepositions, sing “Aus-außer-bei-mit, nach-seit, von-zu” to the tune of the “Blue Danube” waltz, or think of the touching love poem “Roses are red, violets are blue, aus-außer-bei-mit, nach-seit, von-zu.”

Pronouns and Possessive Articles

Nominative Accusative Dative Possessive Article
ich mich mir mein
du dich dir dein
er ihn ihm sein
sie sie ihr ihr
es es ihm sein
they them them their
wir uns uns unser
ihr euch euch euer
sie/Sie sie/Sie ihnen/Ihnen ihr/Ihr

Mnemonic advice

  • The third person singular and plural pronouns roughly rhyme with the corresponding forms of “der/das/die” in the Nominative, Accusative and Dative: er <=> der, ihn <=> den, ihm <=> dem, sie <=> die, sie <=> die, ihr <=> der, es <=> das, es <=> das, ihm <=> dem, and in the 3rd person plural sie <=> die, sie <=> die, ihnen <=> den (sort of).
  • For the “we” forms, note nominative “wir” sounds like English “we,” and accusative and dative “uns” sounds like English “us.”
  • For the possessives, note “mein,” “dein” and “sein” rhyme.  The feminine singular “ihr” looks and sounds roughly like its English counterpart “her.”  The 3rd person plural form is also “ihr”; except in the Dative, the “she” pronouns are always the same as the “they” pronouns

Übungen [Mechanical practice to help you memorize these charts]

Click here to do all these exercises in sequence (use the “weiter” button to get from one to the next), or click on the links below to pick out individual ones.