Scene 16GrammarPremium
Meine Familie, seine Familie
Describe family relationships and whose things they are
Name the relationship
Use and to talk about your family: , , . The noun decides the ending. A singular relative uses a singular verb; plural uses a plural verb: .
His, her or their?
For a male owner use the word : . For a female owner use : . Plural owners also use . The owner chooses the beginning of the word; the thing or person described chooses the ending. The formal word for your, , still has a capital.
| Relative | His | Her or their |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ||
| Feminine | ||
| Neuter | ||
| Plural |
A family member as the direct object
Possessive articles change like the indefinite article in the accusative. A masculine object gets n: , . Feminine, neuter and plural keep the forms you already know.
| Noun | Subject | Direct object |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ||
| Feminine | ||
| Neuter | ||
| Plural |
A name can show ownership
Add s to a name to show who it belongs to: , . Do not add an apostrophe in these examples. A name ending in an s sound, such as , can use an apostrophe: . This is a useful name pattern; you do not need a full new case system for it.
Hilde zeigt ihre Fotos.Hilde shows her photos.
Jonas sucht seinen Vater.Jonas looks for his father.
Ich sehe meine Schwester.I see my sister.
Practice 1/5 · Finding words
Notice the useful forms
Tap the ownership words.
.
My parents live in Hamburg.
.
Jonas shows his photos.
.
Hilde speaks about her husband.
.
I see my brother.
Practice 2/5 · The right form
The owner and the noun both matter
Choose the right word for the gap.
Jonas zeigt Fotos.
Jonas shows his photos.
Hilde zeigt Mann auf dem Foto.
Hilde shows her husband in the photo.
Ich sehe Bruder.
I see my brother.
Das ist Schwester.
That is my sister.
Jonas sieht Vater.
Jonas sees his father.
Ist das Sohn, Frau Brandt?
Is that your son, Mrs Brandt?
A relative or a group?
Choose the right word for the gap.
Meine Eltern in Hamburg.
My parents live in Hamburg.
Mein Bruder hier.
My brother lives here.
Das ist Bruder.
That is Lotte’s brother.
Hilde zeigt ihre .
Hilde shows her family.
Practice 3/5 · Fill the gaps
Complete the conversation
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
Katrin ist Lottes Mutter. Lotte ist Tochter.
Katrin is Lotte’s mother. Lotte is her daughter.
Ich sehe Bruder und Schwester.
I see my brother and my sister.
Jonas zeigt Trompete. Hilde zeigt Fotos.
Jonas shows his trumpet. Hilde shows her photos.
Ist das Sohn? Und sind das Eltern?
Is that your son? And are those your parents (polite)?
Practice 4/5 · Building sentences
Put the message together
Put the words in order.
My parents live in Hamburg.
Jonas sees his father.
Hilde shows her husband in the photo.
That is Lotte’s brother.
Practice 5/5 · In situations
Respond to the situation
Choose the right words for the situation.
Frau Brandt points to a man in a family photo. You ask whether he is her son.
You say:
Formal Ihr fits the adult you address, and Sohn is masculine.
Frau Brandt points to a man in a family photo. You ask whether he is her son.
You say:
Formal Ihr fits the adult you address, and Sohn is masculine.
A friend asks what you can see in the photo. Your brother is in it.
You say:
The brother is the direct object; use meinen.
A friend asks what you can see in the photo. Your brother is in it.
You say:
The brother is the direct object; use meinen.
Unit complete
