Dieser Stuhl ist bequem.
English: This chair is comfortable.
- Language
- German
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Nomen, Fälle und Pronomen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Demonstrative pronouns in German are words like 'this', 'that', 'these', and 'those' in English. They are used to point to specific people or things.
When to use it
Use German demonstrative pronouns when you want to emphasize or point out a specific person or object in a sentence. They can replace a noun or stand before it.
Key forms
- dieser (masculine), diese (feminine), dieses (neuter), diese (plural)
- jener (masculine), jene (feminine), jenes (neuter), jene (plural)
- sie (they/them), der/die/das (used as demonstratives)
Examples
Ich möchte jenes Buch lesen.
English: I want to read that book.
Diese Blumen sind schön.
English: These flowers are beautiful.
Ist das dein Auto?
English: Is that your car?
Ich nehme diesen Apfel.
English: I’ll take this apple.
Tips
- Remember that demonstrative pronouns change their endings based on gender, number, and case—just like definite articles.
- Be careful not to confuse 'dieser' and 'jener'—'dieser' usually means 'this', and 'jener' means 'that' (something further away).
- In spoken German, 'der', 'die', and 'das' can also be used as demonstrative pronouns for emphasis.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Sometimes, 'der', 'die', or 'das' are used instead of 'dieser' or 'jener' in everyday speech.