{"id":25598045,"date":"2024-12-20T10:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T04:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/?p=25598045"},"modified":"2025-08-21T18:39:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T13:09:38","slug":"german-personal-pronouns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/","title":{"rendered":"German Personal Pronouns ( Updated Guide )"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d4cef2788c4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d4cef2788c4\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#What_are_German_Personal_Pronouns\" >What are German Personal Pronouns?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#Types_of_German_Personal_Pronouns\" >Types of German Personal Pronouns<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#Understanding_the_Case_System_in_German_Personal_Pronouns\" >Understanding the Case System in German Personal Pronouns<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#Gender_and_Personal_Pronouns_in_German\" >Gender and Personal Pronouns in German<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#The_Formal_vs_Informal_%E2%80%98You_in_German\" >The Formal vs Informal &#8216;You&#8217; in German<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#Common_Mistakes_with_German_Personal_Pronouns\" >Common Mistakes with German Personal Pronouns<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#Tips_for_Mastering_Personal_Pronouns_in_German\" >Tips for Mastering Personal Pronouns in German<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>German personal pronouns \u2013 or\u00a0<em>Personalpronomen<\/em> \u2013are extremely useful for referring to ourselves, other people, objects, feelings and even abstract concepts &#8211; in short, they replace the type of word we call a noun and help us avoid repeating ourselves.<\/p>\n<p>For example here:\u00a0\u201cThis is Emma. She is eating an apple&#8217;, the personal pronoun &#8216;she&#8217; replaces the name &#8216;Emma&#8217; in the second sentence.<\/p>\n<p>By mastering these words, you will be one step closer to understanding German sentences and expressing yourself easily.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn the German language in your own language! Get free Demo Classes Here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_German_Personal_Pronouns\"><\/span><strong>What are German Personal Pronouns?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>German personal pronouns (Personalpronomen) are words like\u00a0<em>ich<\/em>\u00a0(I),\u00a0<em>du<\/em>\u00a0(you), or\u00a0<em>wir<\/em>\u00a0(we) that replace nouns to avoid repetition. Their form changes with the case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), gender, and number. For example:\u00a0<em>ich<\/em>\u00a0\u2192\u00a0<em>mich<\/em>\u00a0(me) \u2192\u00a0<em>mir<\/em>\u00a0(to me). Mastering these shifts is key to understanding who is acting, receiving, or possessing in a sentence.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The \u201cfirst person\u201d:\u00a0<em>ich<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>wir<\/em>\u00a0(I and we)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The pronoun you&#8217;ll be using about yourself from the very beginning is the personal pronoun &#8220;I&#8221; &#8211; or them in German. From a grammatical point of view, we call this &#8220;first person singular&#8221;. When we talk about ourselves and others at the same time, we use the personal pronoun \u201cwe\u201d \u2013 or in German,\u00a0wir. This is known as &#8220;first person plural&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at a few examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Ich hei\u00dfe Anna<\/em>. (My name is Anna.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Ich wohne in Dortmund<\/em>. (I live in Dortmund.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Wir kaufen einen Computer<\/em>. (We buy a computer.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Wir wohnen in Duisburg<\/em>. (We live in Duisburg.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The \u201csecond person\u201d:\u00a0<em>du<\/em>,\u00a0<em>ihr<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Sie<\/em>\u00a0(you)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The translation of the personal pronoun &#8220;you&#8221; can be somewhat confusing for English speakers. This is because we have three different personal pronouns, all of which mean &#8220;you&#8221; in German.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>First, we use the German personal pronoun du to talk to a single person we know well or to a child.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Example:\u00a0<em>Kommst du zur Geburtstagsparty?<\/em>\u00a0(Are you coming to the birthday party?).<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>To talk to more than one person we know well, or to more than one child at a time, we use the pronoun\u00a0<em>ihr.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For example, a teacher could ask the class:\u00a0<em>Habt ihr eure Hausaufgaben gemacht?<\/em>\u00a0(Did you [all] do your homework?).<\/p>\n<p>Or, you could ask your friend and his wife:\u00a0<em>Wohin fahrt ihr diesen Sommer?<\/em>\u00a0(Where are you [both] going this summer?).<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>To talk to one or more people in a formal setting, we use <em>Sie<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 did you notice the capital S?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>For example, you could ask:\u00a0<em>Sind Sie Herr M\u00fcller?<\/em>\u00a0(Are you Mr. M\u00fcller?).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The \u201cthird person\u201d:\u00a0<em>er, sie<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>es<\/em>\u00a0(he, she and it)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>At first it might seem that the three English pronouns he\/she\/it are the same as the German pronouns\u00a0er\/sie\/es. However, there is a peculiar quirk in German because, as you may remember, all things have a gender in German.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the personal pronoun must always agree with the gender of your noun. In English we would say: &#8220;The lamp is broken, it was old&#8221;. However, in German,\u00a0die Lampe\u00a0(lamp) is feminine, so we say:\u00a0Die Lampe ist kaputt, sie war alt.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s a lot to digest, but the examples below will help:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Masculine:\u00a0<em>Der Baum ist alt<\/em>. (The tree is old.)<br \/>\n\u2192\u00a0<em>Er ist alt<\/em>. (It is old. \/ \u201cHe is old.\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>Feminine:\u00a0<em>Die Kirche ist alt<\/em>. (The church is old.)<br \/>\n\u2192\u00a0<em>Sie ist alt<\/em>. (It is old. \/ \u201cShe is old.\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>Neuter:\u00a0<em>Das Buch ist alt<\/em>. (The book is old.) \u2192\u00a0<em>Es ist alt<\/em>. (It is old.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Important to know:\u00a0<em>sie<\/em>\u00a0can also mean &#8220;they&#8221; (grammatically this is called &#8220;third person plural&#8221;). But luckily for you, it doesn&#8217;t matter whether you&#8217;re talking about masculine, feminine or neuter nouns or plural persons: <em>sie<\/em> is always correct.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Die H\u00e4user sind alt<\/em>. (The houses are old.) \u2192\u00a0<em>Sie sind alt<\/em>. (They are old.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Die M\u00e4nner sind jung<\/em>. (The men are young.) \u2192\u00a0<em>Sie sind jung<\/em>. (They are young.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The double meaning of &#8220;she&#8221; and &#8220;they&#8221; can be a bit confusing, but the verb forms that go with them tell us exactly which one is meant. As you&#8217;ve probably already noticed, context really matters in German!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some example sentences with different meanings for <em>sie<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Sie ist traurig<\/em>. (She is sad).<\/li>\n<li><em>Sie sind traurig.<\/em>\u00a0(They are sad.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Sie kommt aus Ungarn<\/em>. (She is from Hungary.)<\/li>\n<li><em>Sie kommen aus Ungarn<\/em>. (They are from Hungary.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Just remember that verb forms come with their own problems, as the formal &#8220;you&#8221; (<em>Sie<\/em>) requires the same form as &#8220;they&#8221; (<em>sie<\/em>)! You can tell the difference in writing because we always capitalize the formal form \u201cyou\u201d\u00a0<em>Sie<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Woher kommen sie?<\/em>\u00a0(Where are they from?)<\/li>\n<li><em>Woher kommen Sie?<\/em>\u00a0(Where are you from?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And in spoken language, you can easily tell if someone is talking to you (or another person) formally, or if they&#8217;re talking about people, based on context, tone, and body language.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_German_Personal_Pronouns\"><\/span><strong>Types of German Personal Pronouns<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Personal pronouns (<\/strong>Personalpronomen<strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Reflexive Pronouns (<\/strong>Reflexivpronomen<strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Possessive Pronouns (<\/strong>Possessivpronomen<strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Interrogative Pronouns (<\/strong>Interrogativpronomen<strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Demonstrative Pronouns (<\/strong>Demonstrativpronomen<strong>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Note: Indefinite pronouns like &#8220;nothing&#8221; and relative pronouns like &#8220;which&#8221; and &#8220;whose&#8221; are fun, but we don&#8217;t want to overwhelm you all at once!<\/p>\n<p>Like English, these pronouns must change to show what type of noun they are replacing, such as which person (&#8220;he&#8221; or &#8220;she&#8221;) and whether it is singular or plural (&#8220;it&#8221; or &#8220;they&#8221;).<\/p>\n<p>However, German pronouns come in a few more variations than English ones, depending on the case (nominative, accusative, etc.), which means there will be several tables to remember. The advantage of using upper and lower case letters is that it allows the word order to be more flexible because it is clear what role each case word plays!<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the examples below will help you better recognize when to use different pronouns. Then, memorizing the forms will be easy using technology created specifically for this purpose, such as Entri&#8217;s German course.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Personal Pronouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Personal pronouns refer to a person (big surprise). You can use personal pronouns to talk about other people and yourself. These are the words that usually come to mind when you hear &#8220;pronouns.&#8221; We know that German personal pronouns come in a variety of cases, but English also distinguishes case in this area, so it&#8217;s a great place to start easing into pronoun cases.<\/p>\n<p>English personal pronouns occur in two cases: nominative (for the subject of the sentence) and accusative (for the direct object of the sentence).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nominative:<\/strong> Remember that the subject of the sentence is the person\/thing doing the action.<\/p>\n<p><em>Er<\/em>\u00a0<em>a\u00df den Apfel.<\/em>\u00a0(<strong>He<\/strong>\u00a0[nominative personal pronoun] ate the apple.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accusative:<\/strong>\u00a0The direct object is the person\/thing that the action is directed toward or is receiving the action.<\/p>\n<p><em>Mein Hund mag\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>ihn<\/em><\/strong><em>.<\/em>\u00a0(My dog likes\u00a0<strong>him<\/strong>\u00a0[accusative personal pronoun].)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dative:<\/strong> The dative case is most often used for indirect objects. This is a noun that is indirectly affected by an action or receives some action from a direct object rather than a subject. To remember what an indirect object is, remember the verb &#8220;to give,&#8221; which always requires not only something to be given (direct object), but someone to receive that item (indirect object).<\/p>\n<p><em>Sie<\/em>\u00a0[subject\/nominative pronoun]\u00a0<em>gibt\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>ihm<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0[dative \/ indirect object pronoun]\u00a0<em>ein Buch<\/em>\u00a0[accusative \/ direct object pronoun].<br \/>\n(She gives\u00a0<strong>him<\/strong>\u00a0a book.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genitive:<\/strong>\u00a0In modern German, the genitive forms of personal pronouns are very rarely used, even in formal language.<\/p>\n<p><em>Wir erinnern uns\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>ihrer<\/em><\/strong><em>.<\/em>\u00a0(We remember her.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genitive<\/strong>: In modern German, the genitive forms of personal pronouns are used very rarely, even in formal language, so you don&#8217;t need to spend time learning them. You can use genitive possessive pronouns when you need to replace a noun that is &#8220;owned&#8221; with a pronoun.<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Person<\/td>\n<td>Nom.<\/td>\n<td>Eng<\/td>\n<td>Acc.<\/td>\n<td>Eng<\/td>\n<td>Dat.<\/td>\n<td>Eng<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1st person<\/td>\n<td>ich<\/td>\n<td>I<\/td>\n<td>mich<\/td>\n<td>me<\/td>\n<td>mir<\/td>\n<td>me<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2nd person sing.<\/td>\n<td>du<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<td>dich<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<td>dir<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3rd person masc.\/sing.<\/td>\n<td>er<\/td>\n<td>he<\/td>\n<td>ihn<\/td>\n<td>him<\/td>\n<td>ihm<\/td>\n<td>him<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3rd person fem.\/sing.<\/td>\n<td>sie<\/td>\n<td>she<\/td>\n<td>sie<\/td>\n<td>her<\/td>\n<td>ihr<\/td>\n<td>her<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3rd person neut.\/sing.<\/td>\n<td>es<\/td>\n<td>it<\/td>\n<td>es<\/td>\n<td>it<\/td>\n<td>ihm<\/td>\n<td>it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2nd person plural<\/td>\n<td>ihr<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<td>euch<\/td>\n<td>you all<\/td>\n<td>euch<\/td>\n<td>you all<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3rd person plural<\/td>\n<td>sie<\/td>\n<td>they<\/td>\n<td>sie<\/td>\n<td>them<\/td>\n<td>ihnen<\/td>\n<td>them<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3rd person formal voice sing.\/plural<\/td>\n<td>Sie<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<td>Sie<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<td>Ihnen<\/td>\n<td>you<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><strong>2. Reflexive Pronouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Reflexive pronouns are reflected back to the subject of the sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs in the dative and accusative cases. They are used when an action or event &#8220;reflects&#8221; on yourself, such as washing, showering or shaving. In all these cases, you can imagine using the same verb non-reflexively (someone performing this action on someone else rather than on themselves), so you can see how important it is to specify the reflexive pronoun. The pronoun used here is the word &#8220;self&#8221;. Fortunately, German only uses the accusative and dative case for reflexive pronouns.<\/p>\n<p>In the simple case, &#8220;yourself&#8221; is the direct object that receives the action of shaving, so you use the accusative case.<\/p>\n<p><em>Du rasierst\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>dich<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0[accusative]. (You\u2019re shaving\u00a0<strong>yourself<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>If you include an &#8220;object&#8221; that is shaving (receiving the action of the verb), you should use the dative case because in this case &#8220;you&#8221; is the subject, &#8220;you&#8221; is the entity receiving the action, and &#8220;head&#8221; is the direct object that is being shaved.<\/p>\n<p><em>Du rasierst\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>dir<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0[dative]\u00a0<em>den Kopf.<\/em>\u00a0(You\u2019re shaving\u00a0<strong>yourself<\/strong>\u00a0the head.)<\/p>\n<p>If that\u2019s tricky to get your (shaved?) head around, compare it with the \u201cgive\u201d example with the dative earlier:<\/p>\n<p>She [subject \/ nominative pronoun] gives\u00a0<strong>him<\/strong>\u00a0[dative \/ indirect object pronoun] a book [accusative \/ direct object pronoun].<\/p>\n<p>You [subject \/ nominative pronoun] shave\u00a0<strong>yourself<\/strong>\u00a0[dative \/ indirect object pronoun] the head [accusative \/ direct object pronoun].<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Person<\/td>\n<td>Acc.<\/td>\n<td>Dat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>I (myself)<\/td>\n<td>mich<\/td>\n<td>mir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (sing.) (yourself)<\/td>\n<td>dich<\/td>\n<td>dir<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>he (himself), she (herself), it (itself)<\/td>\n<td>sich<\/td>\n<td>sich<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>we (ourselves)<\/td>\n<td>uns<\/td>\n<td>uns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (pl.) (yourselves)<\/td>\n<td>euch<\/td>\n<td>euch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>they (themselves)<\/td>\n<td>sich<\/td>\n<td>sich<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (formal) (yourself)<\/td>\n<td>sich<\/td>\n<td>sich<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><strong>3. Possessive Pronouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>More than simply denoting the owner of an object (e.g., &#8220;It&#8217;s my dog&#8221;), these pronouns completely replace the corresponding noun (&#8220;It&#8217;s mine&#8221;).<\/p>\n<p><em>Hast du meinen\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>Hund<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0gesehen?<\/em>\u00a0(Have you seen my\u00a0<strong>dog<\/strong>?)<\/p>\n<p>In this example, the noun being replaced is\u00a0<em>Hund.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Ist das\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>deiner<\/em><\/strong><em>?<\/em>\u00a0(Is that yours?)<\/p>\n<p><em>Ja, das ist\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>meiner<\/em><\/strong><em>.<\/em>\u00a0(Yes, that is mine.)<\/p>\n<p>Remember that when a noun is still present, we use a possessive adjective (&#8220;my&#8221;), while when replacing a noun we use a possessive pronoun (&#8220;mine&#8221;).<\/p>\n<p><em>Hast du\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>mein<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0Bier gesehen?<\/em>\u00a0(Have you seen\u00a0<strong>my<\/strong>\u00a0beer?)<\/p>\n<p><em>Das ist\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>deins<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0[<em>Bier<\/em>=accusative\/direct object singular neuter noun]<em>.<\/em>\u00a0(That one is\u00a0<strong>yours.<\/strong>)<\/p>\n<p>Notice that the actual pronoun for \u201cyours\u201d is\u00a0<em>dein<\/em>, but an -s ending is required because\u00a0<em>Bier<\/em>\u00a0is a neutral noun.<\/p>\n<p>Because nouns in German can have a specific gender, you need to be sure to replace the noun with a pronoun that provides a clear reference back to avoid confusing your audience. For this reason, the tables are separated by uppercase and lowercase letters so that you can clearly see the appropriate pronoun for each gender category. Note that with possessive pronouns, feminine pronouns are the same as plural pronouns of any gender.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll notice that the formal \u201cyou\u201d is always the same form as the plural \u201cthey\u201d but capitalized.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Nominative:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Das ist nicht mein Koffer, das ist\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>deiner<\/em><\/strong>. [nominative, masc., sing.] (That isn\u2019t my suitcase, that is\u00a0<strong>yours<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Person<\/td>\n<td>English Possessive Pronoun<\/td>\n<td>Masc. Noun<\/td>\n<td>Neut. Noun<\/td>\n<td>Fem.\/Plural Noun<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>I (ich)<\/td>\n<td>mine<\/td>\n<td>meiner<\/td>\n<td>mein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>meine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (sing.) (du)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>deiner<\/td>\n<td>dein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>deine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>he (er)<\/td>\n<td>his<\/td>\n<td>seiner<\/td>\n<td>sein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>seine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>she (sie)<\/td>\n<td>her<\/td>\n<td>ihrer<\/td>\n<td>ihr(e)s<\/td>\n<td>ihre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>it (es)<\/td>\n<td>its<\/td>\n<td>seiner<\/td>\n<td>sein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>seine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>we (wir)<\/td>\n<td>ours<\/td>\n<td>unserer<\/td>\n<td>unser(e)s<\/td>\n<td>unsere<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (pl.) (ihr)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>eurer<\/td>\n<td>euers<\/td>\n<td>eure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>they (sie)<\/td>\n<td>theirs<\/td>\n<td>ihrer<\/td>\n<td>ihr(e)s<\/td>\n<td>ihre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (formal) (Sie)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>Ihrer<\/td>\n<td>Ihr(e)s<\/td>\n<td>Ihre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Accusative:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Wenn du ein Auto brauchst, kann ich dir\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>mein(e)s<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0ausleihen.<\/em>\u00a0[accusative, neut., sing.] (If you need a car, I can lend you\u00a0<strong>mine<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Person<\/td>\n<td>English Possessive Pronoun<\/td>\n<td>Masc.<\/td>\n<td>Neuter<\/td>\n<td>Fem.\/Plural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>I (ich)<\/td>\n<td>mine<\/td>\n<td>meinen<\/td>\n<td>mein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>meine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (sing.) (du)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>deinen<\/td>\n<td>dein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>deine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>he (er)<\/td>\n<td>his<\/td>\n<td>seinen<\/td>\n<td>sein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>seine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>she (sie)<\/td>\n<td>her<\/td>\n<td>ihren<\/td>\n<td>ihr(e)s<\/td>\n<td>ihre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>it (es)<\/td>\n<td>its<\/td>\n<td>seinen<\/td>\n<td>sein(e)s<\/td>\n<td>seine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>we (wir)<\/td>\n<td>ours<\/td>\n<td>unseren<\/td>\n<td>unser(e)s<\/td>\n<td>unsere<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (pl.) (ihr)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>euren<\/td>\n<td>euers<\/td>\n<td>eure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>they (sie)<\/td>\n<td>theirs<\/td>\n<td>ihren<\/td>\n<td>ihr(e)s<\/td>\n<td>ihre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (formal) (Sie)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>Ihren<\/td>\n<td>Ihr(e)s<\/td>\n<td>Ihre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Dative:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Ich fahre in deinem Wagen. In\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>seinem<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0habe ich immer Angst.<\/em>\u00a0[dative, masc., sing.] (I\u2019ll go in your car. I am always frightened in\u00a0<strong>his<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Person<\/td>\n<td>English Possessive Pronoun<\/td>\n<td>Masc.\/Neut.<\/td>\n<td>Fem.<\/td>\n<td>Plural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>I (ich)<\/td>\n<td>mine<\/td>\n<td>meinem<\/td>\n<td>meiner<\/td>\n<td>meinen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (sing.) (du)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>deinem<\/td>\n<td>deiner<\/td>\n<td>deinen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>he (er)<\/td>\n<td>his<\/td>\n<td>seinem<\/td>\n<td>seiner<\/td>\n<td>seinen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>she (sie)<\/td>\n<td>her<\/td>\n<td>ihrem<\/td>\n<td>ihrer<\/td>\n<td>ihren<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>it (es)<\/td>\n<td>its<\/td>\n<td>seinem<\/td>\n<td>seiner<\/td>\n<td>seinen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>we (wir)<\/td>\n<td>ours<\/td>\n<td>unserem<\/td>\n<td>unserer<\/td>\n<td>unseren<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (pl.) (ihr)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>eurem<\/td>\n<td>eurer<\/td>\n<td>euren<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>they (sie)<\/td>\n<td>theirs<\/td>\n<td>ihrem<\/td>\n<td>ihrer<\/td>\n<td>ihren<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (formal) (Sie)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>Ihrem<\/td>\n<td>Ihrer<\/td>\n<td>Ihren<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Genitive:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ich lese in meinem Buch. Du liest\u00a0<strong>deines<\/strong>. [genitive, neut., sing.] (I read in my book. You read\u00a0<strong>yours<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>Person<\/td>\n<td>English Possessive Pronoun<\/td>\n<td>Masc.\/Neut.<\/td>\n<td>Fem.\/Plural<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>I (ich)<\/td>\n<td>mine<\/td>\n<td>meines<\/td>\n<td>meiner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (sing.) (du)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>deines<\/td>\n<td>deiner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>he (er)<\/td>\n<td>his<\/td>\n<td>seines<\/td>\n<td>seiner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>she (sie)<\/td>\n<td>her<\/td>\n<td>ihres<\/td>\n<td>ihrer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>it (es)<\/td>\n<td>its<\/td>\n<td>seines<\/td>\n<td>seiner<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>we (wir)<\/td>\n<td>ours<\/td>\n<td>unseres<\/td>\n<td>unserer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (pl.) (ihr)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>eures<\/td>\n<td>eurer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>they (sie)<\/td>\n<td>theirs<\/td>\n<td>ihres<\/td>\n<td>ihrer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>you (formal) (Sie)<\/td>\n<td>yours<\/td>\n<td>Ihres<\/td>\n<td>Ihrer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><strong>4. Interrogative Pronouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Simply put, interrogative pronouns are words that we use to ask questions about a noun. Like English, German uses specific interrogative pronouns to make it clear what information you expect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who<\/strong>\u00a0[nominative] called? Expected answer: the subject of the sentence, the \u201cdoer\u201d of the action<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who<\/strong>\u00a0[accusative] did you call? Expected answer: direct object, the person to whom the call was directed<\/p>\n<p><strong>To whom<\/strong>\u00a0[dative] did you give a hug \/\u00a0<strong>Who<\/strong>\u00a0did you give a hug\u00a0<strong>to<\/strong>? Expected answer: indirect object, the person who received the direct object (a hug)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Whose<\/strong>\u00a0[genitive] party is it? Expected answer: the owner of the party<\/p>\n<p>Although we don&#8217;t think the English counterparts have case, they are similar to German in that each type of word precedes a noun that played a role in response to the event. For this reason, apart from the most general pronoun &#8220;what&#8221;, every interrogative pronoun in German is tied to a specific case.<\/p>\n<p>If you ever have trouble figuring out what role a noun plays in a sentence, and therefore what case, try formulating a question (in English if necessary) to ask about that noun. This can help you clarify whether it is the subject, direct object, indirect object, or possessor.<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td>English<\/td>\n<td>German<\/td>\n<td>Case<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>What?<\/td>\n<td>Was?<\/td>\n<td>All cases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Who?<\/td>\n<td>Wer?<\/td>\n<td>Nominative<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Who?<\/td>\n<td>Wen?<\/td>\n<td>Accusative<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>To whom? \/ Who\u2026to?<\/td>\n<td>Wem?<\/td>\n<td>Dative<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Whose?<\/td>\n<td>Wessen?<\/td>\n<td>Genitive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><em>Was<\/em>\u00a0<em>hat sie gesagt?<\/em>\u00a0(<strong>What<\/strong>\u00a0did she say?)<\/p>\n<p><em>Wer<\/em>\u00a0[nominative]\u00a0<em>hat angerufen?<\/em>\u00a0(<strong>Who<\/strong>\u00a0called?)<\/p>\n<p><em>Wen<\/em>\u00a0[accusative]\u00a0<em>haben Sie angerufen?<\/em>\u00a0(<strong>Who<\/strong>\u00a0did you call?)<\/p>\n<p><em>Wem<\/em>\u00a0[dative]\u00a0<em>hast du eine Umarmung gegeben?<\/em>\u00a0(<strong>To whom<\/strong>\u00a0did you give a hug?)<\/p>\n<p><em>Wessen<\/em>\u00a0[genitive]\u00a0<em>Partei ist das?<\/em>\u00a0(<strong>Whose<\/strong>\u00a0party is it?)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Demonstrative Pronouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Demonstrative pronouns are used to refer to something in your current visual context or to &#8220;demonstrate&#8221; which person\/thing you mean. In English, the pronouns below are equivalent to &#8220;this&#8221; and &#8220;these&#8221;. These pronouns can be your best friend when you&#8217;re in a German-speaking country and you haven&#8217;t memorized all the relevant nouns yet, as they allow you to easily point to an item you&#8217;d like or a dish on the menu. and say:<\/p>\n<p><em>Ich m\u00f6chte\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>diese<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0bitte.<\/em>\u00a0(I want\u00a0<strong>these<\/strong>, please.)<\/p>\n<p>Declension of\u00a0<em>dieser<\/em>,\u00a0<em>diese<\/em>,\u00a0<em>dieses<\/em>:<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Masc.<\/td>\n<td>Fem.<\/td>\n<td>Neut.<\/td>\n<td>Pl.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Nom.<\/td>\n<td>dieser<\/td>\n<td>diese<\/td>\n<td>dieses<\/td>\n<td>diese<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Acc.<\/td>\n<td>diesen<\/td>\n<td>diese<\/td>\n<td>dieses<\/td>\n<td>diese<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Dat.<\/td>\n<td>diesem<\/td>\n<td>dieser<\/td>\n<td>diesem<\/td>\n<td>diesen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gen.<\/td>\n<td>dieses<\/td>\n<td>dieser<\/td>\n<td>dieses<\/td>\n<td>dieser<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>German demonstrative adjectives are often used as pronouns (simply by dropping the noun), so you may see\u00a0<em>der, die,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>das<\/em>\u00a0also used, but you can start simple by just using the chart above.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some other demonstrative words that can be used as pronouns with the same endings to indicate gender, number, and case.<\/p>\n<p><em>dies-<\/em>\u00a0(this)\u00a0<em>jen-<\/em>\u00a0(that)\u00a0<em>jeglich-<\/em>\u00a0(any)\u00a0<em>jed-<\/em>\u00a0(every)\u00a0<em>manch-<\/em>\u00a0(some)\u00a0<em>solch-<\/em>\u00a0(such)\u00a0<em>welch-<\/em>\u00a0(which)\u00a0<em>alle<\/em>(-) (all)\u00a0<em>beide<\/em>(-) (both)<\/p>\n<p>Pronouns are very powerful tools for streamlining a conversation, although a lot of them can be memorized. See how much effort you save by using them:<\/p>\n<p><em>John sagte, dass er das Geschenk dem M\u00e4dchen gegeben hat, das Sie auf meiner Geburtstagsfeier getroffen haben.<\/em>\u00a0(John said that he gave the gift to the girl that you met at my birthday party.)<\/p>\n<p>vs.<\/p>\n<p><em>Er sagte, dass er es ihr gegeben hat.<\/em>\u00a0(He said that he gave it to her.)<\/p>\n<p>All those milliseconds saved add up over time! By comparing the sentences above, you should feel that you can start saving a lot of time and effort. Since the pronouns are very similar, native speakers will probably know what you mean if you don&#8217;t pick the perfect one during practice, so don&#8217;t be afraid to try!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ready to take your German language skills to the next level? Get Free Demo Classes Here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_the_Case_System_in_German_Personal_Pronouns\"><\/span><strong>Understanding the Case System in German Personal Pronouns<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"1-german-nouns-have-genders\" class=\"wp-block-heading p7\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">1. German Nouns Have Genders<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p5\">The first thing you should know about German nouns is that they have a gender. This is a completely new concept for native English speakers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\">For example:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">the dog:<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><em><strong>der<\/strong>\u00a0Hund<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">the cat:\u00a0<em><strong>die<\/strong>\u00a0Katze<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">the horse:\u00a0<em><strong>das<\/strong>\u00a0Pferd\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p5\">As you can see, German nouns can have one of three genders:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><strong>der<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(masculine form of \u201cthe\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><strong>die<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(feminine\u00a0form of \u201cthe\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><strong>das<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(neuter form of \u201cthe\u201d)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Tip \u2013 when you learn new German vocabulary, try to learn the gender as well. Knowing the gender will help you choose the right case and endings.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to gender, the participle of a noun changes depending on whether it is subject, subject, direct object, or indirect object.\u00a0In German grammar, the four cases are nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The nominative case is used for the subjects of sentences. The subject is the person or thing that performs the action. For example, in the sentence &#8220;a girl kicks a ball&#8221;, the subject is &#8220;girl&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>The accusative case applies to direct objects. The direct object is the person or thing that receives the action. So in &#8216;the girl kicks the ball&#8217; the &#8216;ball&#8217; is the direct object.<\/li>\n<li>The dative case is for indirect objects. An indirect object is the person or thing that &#8220;gets&#8221; the direct object. So in the sentence &#8220;The girl kicks the boy&#8217;s ball&#8221; the &#8220;boy&#8221; is the indirect object.<\/li>\n<li>The genitive case is used to express possession.\u00a0In English we show possession with an apostrophe + with &#8220;the girl&#8217;s ball&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"2-the-nominative-case-der-nominativ\" class=\"wp-block-heading p7\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">2. The Nominative Case (<em>Der Nominativ<\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The nominative case answers the question,\u00a0wer?\u00a0or &#8220;who?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In both German and English, the nominative case describes the subject of the sentence. Masculine, feminine and neuter articles appear as follows:<\/p>\n<p>You can see the nominative in context in these examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><b>Die (Eine)<\/b>\u00a0<b>Frau<\/b>\u00a0lebt in Deutschland<\/em>. (The woman (a) lives in Germany.) In this example, the subject of the sentence is Die Frau, or the woman.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Der (Ein) Mann<\/strong>\u00a0arbeitet<span class=\"s1\">\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\"><em>in der B\u00e4ckerei<\/em>. (The man (a) works in a bakery.) The man is the subject of this sentence and takes the nominative case.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><b>Das<\/b>\u00a0(<b>Ein<\/b>)\u00a0<b>Kind<\/b>\u00a0geht in die Schule<\/em>. (The child (a) goes to school.) The subject, child, has the nominative case.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"3-the-accusative-case-der-akkusativ\" class=\"wp-block-heading p7\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">3. The Accusative Case (<em>Der Akkusativ<\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The accusative case, known in English as the objective case, answers the question\u00a0wen?\u00a0or\u00a0&#8220;whom?&#8221;\u00a0and describes the direct object of the sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s see how masculine, feminine and neuter nouns change to the accusative case.<\/p>\n<p>As you probably noticed, only the masculine articles change in the accusative case.\u00a0Let&#8217;s look at some simple examples:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li><em>Das Kind isst\u00a0<b>einen Apfel<\/b>.(The child eats an apple). <\/em>In this sentence, einen Apfel is the accusative direct object. Das Kind is the subject and takes the nominative case.<\/li>\n<li><i>Der Mann liebt\u00a0<\/i><b><i>die Frau<\/i><\/b><i>.\u00a0<\/i>(The man loves the woman). Here, die Frau is the direct object in the accusative case.\u00a0Der Mann is the subject in the nominative case.<\/li>\n<li><i>Die Frau liebt\u00a0<\/i><b><i>den Mann<\/i><\/b><i>.\u00a0<\/i>(The woman loves the man). Den Mann is the direct object in this sentence and uses the accusative case.\u00a0Die Frau is the subject and has the nominative case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are also a few German prepositions that always use the accusative case:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>durch<\/em>\u00a0(through)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>bis<\/em>\u00a0(until)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>f\u00fcr<\/em>\u00a0(for)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>ohne<\/em>\u00a0(without)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>entlang<\/em>\u00a0(along)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>gegen<\/em>\u00a0(against)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>um<\/em>\u00a0(around)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"4-the-dative-case-der-dativ\" class=\"wp-block-heading p7\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">4. The Dative Case (<em>Der Dativ<\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The dative case describes the indirect object of a sentence in German and English and answers the question,\u00a0wem?\u00a0(whom),\u00a0or was he?\u00a0(what).<\/p>\n<p>We typically use the dative case for indirect objects, which usually receive action from the direct object (in the accusative case). As with other cases, word order is flexible as long as you use the correct case. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><b>Ich<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(subject)\u00a0<i>schenke<\/i>\u00a0<em><b>dir<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(dative indirect object)\u00a0<em><b>eine<\/b>\u00a0<b>Blume<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(accusative direct object).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em><b>Eine<\/b>\u00a0<b>Blume<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(accusative direct object)<em>\u00a0schenke\u00a0<b>ich<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(subject)\u00a0<em><b>dir<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(dative indirect object).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><b>I&#8217;m<\/b>\u00a0(subject) giving\u00a0<b>you<\/b>\u00a0(indirect object)\u00a0<b>a<\/b>\u00a0<b>flower<\/b>\u00a0(direct object).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Several prepositions take the dative case:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">aus\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(out)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">au\u03b2er\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(besides)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">bei\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(next to)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">mit\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(with)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">nach\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(after)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">seit<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0(since)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">von\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(from)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">zu\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(to)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em><span class=\"s1\">gegen\u00fcber<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0(opposite)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">And some\u00a0German verbs\u00a0always take the dative case. These verbs are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>antworten<\/em>\u00a0(to answer)<\/li>\n<li><em>danken\u00a0<\/em>(to thank)<\/li>\n<li><i>glauben\u00a0<\/i>(to believe)<\/li>\n<li><i>helfen\u00a0<\/i>(to help)<\/li>\n<li><i>geh<\/i><span class=\"s1\"><i>\u00f6ren\u00a0<\/i>(belong to)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><i>gefallen<\/i>\u00a0(to like)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"5-the-genitive-case-der-genitiv\" class=\"wp-block-heading p7\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">5. The Genitive Case (<em>Der Genitiv<\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The genitive indicates possession and answers the question\u00a0wessen?\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cwhose?\u201d\u00a0 In written German, you will most often encounter the case of the genitive case. In spoken German, you&#8217;ll hear von (od) and the dative case instead of the genitive case.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>Das Haus\u00a0<b>meines<\/b>\u00a0Vater<b>s<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(My father&#8217;s house). The genitive case is common in written German.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>Das Haus\u00a0<b>von meinem<\/b>\u00a0Vater<\/em> (My father&#8217;s house). The dative often replaces the genitive in spoken German.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p13\">Masculine and neuter forms require the ending <strong>-s<\/strong> or <strong>-es.<\/strong> One-syllable words end in <strong>-es<\/strong>, while multi-syllable words end in <strong>-s<\/strong>. Here are some examples.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>Der Koffer\u00a0<b>des<\/b>\u00a0Mann<b>es<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(The man&#8217;s suitcase)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>Die Spielzeuge\u00a0<b>des<\/b>\u00a0Kind<b>es<\/b>\u00a0<\/em>(The child&#8217;s toys)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>Das Buch\u00a0<b>meines<\/b>\u00a0Bruder<b>s<\/b><\/em>\u00a0(My brother&#8217;s book)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><em>Das Auto\u00a0<strong>meiner<\/strong>\u00a0Schwester<span class=\"s1\">\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span class=\"s1\">(My sister&#8217;s car)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">Just as the dative case, certain prepositions always take the genitive case:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>anstatt<\/em>\u00a0(instead of)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>au\u00dferhalb<\/em>\u00a0(outside of)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>innerhalb\u00a0<\/em>(inside of)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>trotz<\/em>\u00a0(despite)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>w\u00e4hrend<\/em>\u00a0(during)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><em>wegen<\/em>\u00a0(because of)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">But in spoken German,\u00a0<\/span>Germans sometimes use the dative case with these genitive prepositions.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gender_and_Personal_Pronouns_in_German\"><\/span><strong>Gender and Personal Pronouns in German<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"WaaZC\">\n<div class=\"RJPOee EIJn2\">\n<div class=\"rPeykc uP58nb MNX06c\" data-hveid=\"CAMQAQ\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjb8_b_iLOKAxU4-DgGHfp5CsgQo_EKegQIAxAB\">German personal pronouns have gender, and the gender of a noun in German affects more words in a sentence.\u00a0Here are some German personal pronouns and their genders:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"WaaZC\">\n<div class=\"RJPOee EIJn2\">\n<ul data-hveid=\"CB0QAQ\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjb8_b_iLOKAxU4-DgGHfp5CsgQm_YKegQIHRAB\">\n<li><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410735723\"><strong>Er<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410737420\">He, masculine<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410736718\"><strong>Sie<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410738415\">She, feminine<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410737713\"><strong>Es<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410735314\">It, neuter<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410734612\"><strong>Wir<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410736309\">We<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410735607\"><strong>Ihr<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410737304\">You (plural informal)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410736602\"><strong>Sie\/Sie<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"10798439368410738299\">They\/you (formal)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"WaaZC\">\n<div class=\"RJPOee EIJn2\">\n<div class=\"rPeykc uP58nb\" data-hveid=\"CCEQAQ\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjb8_b_iLOKAxU4-DgGHfp5CsgQo_EKegQIIRAB\">Here are some examples of German personal pronouns in different cases:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"WaaZC\">\n<div class=\"RJPOee EIJn2\">\n<ul data-hveid=\"CDwQAQ\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwjb8_b_iLOKAxU4-DgGHfp5CsgQm_YKegQIPBAB\">\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289548991\"><strong>Er kommt aus K\u00f6ln<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289549286\">He is from Cologne (nominative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289545780\"><strong>Ich helfe ihm<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289546075\">I&#8217;m helping him (dative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289546665\"><strong>Sie kommt aus K\u00f6ln<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289546960\">She&#8217;s from Cologne (nominative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289547550\"><strong>Ich helfe ihr<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289547845\">I&#8217;m helping her (dative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289548435\"><strong>Es ist kaputt<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289548730\">It is broken (nominative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289545224\"><strong>Ich helfe ihm<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289545519\">I&#8217;m helping it (dative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289546109\"><strong>Wir kommen aus K\u00f6ln<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289546404\">We are from Cologne (nominative)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289546994\"><strong>Sie helfen uns<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><span data-huuid=\"15001711338289547289\">They&#8217;re helping us (dative)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"__6pjZ5v4MLjw4-EP-vOpwAw_16\">When learning German nouns, it is important to connect the noun to the gender. For example, you should remember &#8220;der Tisch&#8221; instead of just &#8220;Tisch&#8221;.\u00a0However, gender does not apply to plural nouns.\u00a0For example, &#8220;die Hunde&#8221;, &#8220;die Katzen&#8221; and &#8220;die Pferde&#8221; all use &#8220;die&#8221; for &#8220;the&#8221;.<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Formal_vs_Informal_%E2%80%98You_in_German\"><\/span><strong>The Formal vs Informal &#8216;You&#8217; in German<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>In your very first conversation with a German, you will have to decide whether to address them as du\u00a0or\u00a0Sie.<\/p>\n<p>These are informal and formal ways to say &#8220;you&#8221; in German. But not all German students are familiar with the concept of formal and informal addressing. Even Germans themselves sometimes have trouble drawing the line between du and Sie. And that&#8217;s to say nothing of other sources of pronoun-based confusion, such as when to use\u00a0Sie\u00a0vs.\u00a0sie\u00a0or\u00a0Ihr\u00a0vs.\u00a0ihr.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"What-is-the-difference-between-\u2018Sie\u2019-and-\u2018du\u2019-in-German?\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the difference between \u2018Sie\u2019 and \u2018du\u2019 in German?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When you travel around Germany and talk to Germans, you are likely to hear two forms of address: du and Sie. But what is the difference and is it really that important?<\/p>\n<p>Both du and Sie indicate the second person singular (ie &#8220;you&#8221;).\u00a0Du is the informal form while Sie is the formal and polite form of the personal pronoun.<\/p>\n<p>But it does not end there. There is another Sie: a German polite form for the second person plural used to address a group of people.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verb conjugation with \u2018Sie\u2019 and \u2018du\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Using du or Sie doesn&#8217;t just affect politeness. It also affects the tense of verbs that correspond to the personal pronoun. Notice in the example below how the verb (gehen) changes based on the personal pronoun:<\/p>\n<p>Wohin gehst du?<br \/>\nWohin\u00a0gehen\u00a0Sie?<br \/>\n(Where are you going?)<\/p>\n<p>The verb ending -st is typical of the second person singular (du) across many German verb tenses, although there are exceptions.<\/p>\n<p>The second person plural (Sie) in the polite form is always conjugated in the same way as the third person plural (sie):<\/p>\n<p><em>Sie\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>gehen<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n(you are going)<\/p>\n<p><em>sie\u00a0<\/em><strong><em>gehen<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n(they are going)<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"When-to-use-\u2018Sie\u2019-and-\u2018du\u2019-in-German\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When to use \u2018Sie\u2019 and \u2018du\u2019 in German<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The choice between du and <em>Sie<\/em> has surely troubled many a language student. But the general rule is easy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use <em>du<\/em> for anyone your age or younger and anyone you know (family or friends).<\/li>\n<li>Use <em>Sie<\/em> for strangers and people you respect, such as teachers or authority figures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<h2 dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Mistakes_with_German_Personal_Pronouns\"><\/span><strong>Common Mistakes with German Personal Pronouns<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p id=\"viewer-98pgn798196\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"auto\">Here are some common mistakes students make when using German personal pronouns and how to avoid them:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hook=\"rcv-block92\">\n<h3>1. <strong>Confusing the Formal and Informal Forms of &#8220;You&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-gua99798203\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\">Using du when you should be using Si is a common mistake, especially for beginners. Always use Sie when talking to someone you don&#8217;t know well or in a formal context. If in doubt, it&#8217;s safer to start with Sie until prompted to use du.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hook=\"rcv-block93\"><span style=\"color: #212121; font-size: 1.563em;\">2. <\/span><strong style=\"color: #212121; font-size: 1.563em;\">Forgetting to Change the Pronoun for the Case<\/strong><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-xjt9a798220\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\">German pronouns change depending on the case of the letters. For example, ich\u00a0(me, nominative) becomes mich\u00a0(me, accusative) or mir\u00a0(me, dative). Always check what case the verb or preposition requires.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hook=\"rcv-block96\"><span style=\"color: #212121; font-size: 1.563em;\">3. <\/span><strong style=\"color: #212121; font-size: 1.563em;\">Misusing &#8220;es&#8221; with Gendered Nouns<\/strong><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<p id=\"viewer-58t4b798233\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\">While es is used to refer to neuter nouns (eg das Buch &#8211; it), students sometimes mistakenly use es for nouns that are masculine or feminine. For example, say er for der Tisch (table) and sie for die Lampe (lamp).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hook=\"rcv-block99\"><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<ul class=\"sWazG Gw9LU\">\n<li class=\"ADxKl\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p id=\"viewer-pc7b1798253\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"_3mDbR\">Incorrect: Es\u00a0ist kaputt. (referring to der Tisch)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ADxKl\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p id=\"viewer-0fb2g798260\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"_3mDbR\">Correct: Er\u00a0ist kaputt. (He\/It is broken, referring to the table.)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<h2 id=\"viewer-4obi7798264\" class=\"FUmXl _3jMxh Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_Mastering_Personal_Pronouns_in_German\"><\/span><span class=\"Mxl-1\"><strong>Tips for Mastering Personal Pronouns in German<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-breakout=\"normal\">\n<ul class=\"sWazG Gw9LU\">\n<li class=\"ADxKl\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p id=\"viewer-xrqmb798269\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"_3mDbR\"><strong>Practice Daily Conversations:<\/strong> When you talk to people in German, make a conscious effort to use personal pronouns, especially with the correct prepositions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ADxKl\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p id=\"viewer-4heqo798273\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"_3mDbR\"><strong>Use Role Play:<\/strong> Practice role-playing in different situations, alternating between formal and informal contexts, so that you can comfortably switch between <strong>du\/ihr<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>Sie<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ADxKl\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p id=\"viewer-12iud798281\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"_3mDbR\"><strong>Quiz Yourself on Cases:<\/strong> Regularly ask how personal pronouns change in different cases. Make sure you understand which case is used with which verb or preposition.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ADxKl\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p id=\"viewer-g5uxb798285\" class=\"Vfa42 HKk9f Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"\"><span class=\"_3mDbR\"><strong>Pay Attention to Context:<\/strong> Always consider whether the situation is formal or informal before deciding which pronoun to use. Err on the side of caution with formal pronouns when unsure.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Also Read<\/strong> : <a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/blog\/german-personal-pronouns-exercises-the-complete-guide\/\">German Personal pronouns exercises<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"viewer-8f6i4810208\" class=\"FUmXl _3jMxh Gw9LU FXbrW\" dir=\"auto\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><span class=\"Mxl-1\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hook=\"rcv-block107\">Understanding and correct use of personal pronouns in German is the basis for good speaking and writing. By mastering different cases, understanding formal versus informal usage, and being aware of common pitfalls, you&#8217;ll be able to communicate more accurately and effectively. Remember that personal pronouns are key to making your sentences flow naturally, so practice them in real-life situations, with prepositions and in different cases to feel confident in German conversations.<\/div>\n<div data-hook=\"rcv-block107\">\n<table class=\"table\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>German Language Course in Different Cities<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course-trivandrum\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\"><strong>German Language Course in Trivandrum<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course-thrissur\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\"><strong>German Language Course in Thrissur<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course-kottayam\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\"><strong>German Language Course in Kottayam<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course-kochi\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\"><strong>German Language Course in Kochi<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/entri.app\/course\/german-language-course-calicut\/?utm_source=german-language&amp;utm_medium=blog_referral&amp;utm_campaign=tips-and-tricks-to-prepare-for-a2-german\"><strong>German Language Course in Calicut<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>German personal pronouns \u2013 or\u00a0Personalpronomen \u2013are extremely useful for referring to ourselves, other people, objects, feelings and even abstract concepts &#8211; in short, they replace the type of word we call a noun and help us avoid repeating ourselves. For example here:\u00a0\u201cThis is Emma. She is eating an apple&#8217;, the personal pronoun &#8216;she&#8217; replaces the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":25598046,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[802,1934],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25598045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-german-language"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>German Personal Pronouns Explained | Cases, Examples &amp; Usage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn German personal pronouns (ich, du, er\/sie\/es, wir, ihr, sie) with clear examples. 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