The German demonstrative pronoun
The pronoun
Das Pronomen
The demonstrative pronoun.
Das Demonstrativpronomen.
1. The demonstrative pronouns: der, die, das
- translation: this, that, their, his, hers
- not to be confused with the definite article
- they are used in order to avoid the repetition of a noun, a sentence or a phrase.
Example: - Wie findest du die Anne? – Die finde ich sehr hübsch!
(- what is your opinion about Anne? – I find her pretty)
- the pronunciation is accented
The declension is made regarding the gender, number and case.
Remember! The demonstrative pronoun is applied only for 3rd person singular and plural.
Case | person III singular | person III plural | ||
masculine | feminine | neuter | ||
Nominative | der | die | das | die |
Accusative | den | die | das | die |
Dative | dem | der | dem | denen |
Genitive | dessen | deren | dessen | deren/derer |
In order to integrate the pronoun in a case, we nedd the help of the following questions:
Helping questions for determining the cases:
Nominative case: (wer?), (was?), - The subject of a sentence, that which carries out the action
Cazul acuzativ: (wen?) who?, (was?) what? - The direct object, that which is acted upon; (wohin?) where to?
Cazul dativ. (wem?) to who?, (wo?) where?
Cazul genitiv. (wessen?) whose?
Examples:
Nominative case:
German | English |
welches Auto gefällt dir?das hier! ▶ | - which car do you like? - this one! |
| - welcher Bleistift schreibt besser? - der neben dem Heft! ▶ | - which pencil writes better? - that one, next the notebook! |
Accusative case:
German | English |
| - welchen Spieler hast du beim spielen verletzt? - den mit der blaue Jacke ▶ | - which player did you harm during the game? - that one with the blue jacket |
| - wie heisst der Mann von gestern, den wir in der Stadt getroffen haben? ▶ | - What's the name of the man from yesterday, that we met in the city |
Dative case:
German | English |
| - ich habe meine Hefte meiner Kollege gegeben, dem mit den langen Haaren. ▶ | - I gave my notebooks to a classmate, to that one with the long hair |
| - in welchem Schrank hast du meine Hosen gestellt? - in dem an der linke Seite ▶ | - in which closet did you put my trousers - in that one from the left side |
Genitive case:
German | English |
| - FC Bayern, deren Fussballplatz ist größer als unsere ▶ | - FC Bayern, their stadion is bigger then ours |
| - wessen von euch gehören diese Stiefel? - dessen! ▶ | - Whose of you are this boots? - his! |
Remember! ”das” can be used to avoid the repetition of a whole sentence.
Exemplu: Warum parken all diese Autos wo es verboten ist? Das kann ich einfach nicht verstehen.
(Why all this cars are parking where it is against the law? This I can't understand.)
2. The demonstrative pronouns: dieser, diese, dieses / jener, jene, jenes
- translation: this / that
- dieser, diese, dieses – is reffering to an object or beig that is near the speaker
- jener, jene, jenes – is reffering to an object or beig that is away from the speaker or unknown
The declension is made the same way like in the definite articles case.
”dies-” + the endings of the definite article
Case | person III singular | person III plural | ||
masculine | feminine | neuter | ||
Nominative | dieser | diese | dieses | diese |
Accusative | diesen | diese | dieses | diese |
Dative | diesem | dieser | diesem | diesen |
Genitive | dieses | dieser | dieses | dieser |
”jen-” + the endings of the definite article
Case | person III singular | person III plural | ||
masculine | feminine | neuter | ||
Nominative | jener | jene | jenes | jene |
Accusative | jenen | jene | jenes | jene |
Dative | jenem | jener | jenem | jenen |
Genitive | jenes | jener | jenes | jener |
Examples:
▶ Diese grüne Hose finde ich nicht schön, aber jene finde ich gut.
(I don't like this green trousers, but that one is fine)
What don't I like? This trousers. – Nominative case.
What is fine? That one – Nominative case.
▶ Diesen Hund habe ich gestern vor unserem Haus gesehen.
(I saw this dog yesterday in front of our house) What did I see yesterday? This dog. – Accusative case.
▶ Ich habe diese Kätzchen sehr gern, sie sind so süss.
(I like this cats, they are so cute)
What do I like? This cats. – Accusative case.
▶ Diesem armen Mann habe ich meine alte Jacke gegeben.
(I gave this poor man my old jacket)
To who did I give my old jacket? This poor man. – Dative case.
▶ Jenem Kind habe ich süßichkeiten zum Halloween gegeben.
(Acelui copil i-am dat dulciuri de Halloween.) (I gave that kid sweets for Halloween)
To who did I give sweets? To that kid. – Dative case.
▶ Die Briefmarkensammlung dieses Mannes ist viel Geld wert.
(This man's stamp collection is very expensive)
Whose stamp collection is very expensive? This man's. – Genitive case.
▶ Diesen Klassenkamerad habe ich vergessen, aber jenen kenne ich noch.
(I forgot this classmate, but I remember that one.)
Who did I forgot? This classmate. – Accusative case.
Who do I remember? – That one. – Accusative case.
3. The demonstrative pronouns: derjenige, diejenige, dasjenige / derselbe, dieselbe, dasselbe
- translation: the one, that one, that / the same (one)
Declension of derjenige, diejenige, dasjenige:
der, die, das + jenig + the endings of adjectives preceded by a definite article
Case | person III singular | person III plural | ||
masculine | feminine | neuter | ||
Nominative | derjenige | diejenige | dasjenige | diejenigen |
Accusative | denjenigen | diejenige | dasjenige | diejenigen |
Dative | demjenigen | derjenigen | demjenigen | denjenigen |
Genitive | desjenigen | derjenigen | desjenigen | derjenigen |
Examples:
▶ Derjenige der das Glass zerbrochen hat soll es jetzt aufräumen.
(The one who broke the window should clean it up)
Who broke the window? The one. – Nominative case.
▶ Denjenigen Mann kenne ich aus unserer Stadt.
(I know that man from our town.)
Who do I know? That man. – Accusative case.
▶ Demjenigen habe ich mein Geld gegeben.(I gave the money to that one.)
To who did I give the money? That one. – Dative case.
▶ Desjenigen Hund hat mich gebissen.
(That one's dog bit me.)
Whose dog bit me? That one's. – Genitive case.
Declention of derselbe, dieselbe, dasselbe:
der, die, das + selb + the endings of adjectives preceded by a definite article
Case | person III singular | person III plural | ||
masculine | feminine | neuter | ||
Nominative | derselbe | dieselbe | dasselbe | dieselben |
Accusative | denselben | dieselbe | dasselbe | dieselben |
Dative | demselben | derselben | demselben | denselben |
Genitive | desselben | derselben | desselben | derselben |
Examples:
▶ Das ist dasselbe Auto das wir in Österreich getroffen haben.
(This is the same car we met in Austria.)
What did we meet in Austria? The same car. – Nominative case.
▶ Warum fragst du mich immer dasselbe?
(Why are you asking me always the same thing?)
What are you always asking? The same thing. – Nominative case.
▶ Denselben Lautsprecher habe ich auch bei mir zu Hause.
(I have the same audio device back at my home.)
What do I have back at my home? The same audio device. – Accusative case.
▶ Demselben Mann mit der Katze gehört auch dieser Hund.
(To The same man who owns the cat also owns this dog.)
To who belongs the dog/cat? To the same man. – Dative case.
▶ Wessen Tasche liegt hier? Derselben Frau die auch gestern hier war.
(Whose pocket lies here? The same woman's which was here yesterday.)
Whose pocket lies here? The same woman's. – Genitive case.