German grammar: Genitivobjekt

What this grammar point covers

The 'Genitivobjekt' is an object in a German sentence that is required by certain verbs and stands in the genitive case. It answers the question 'wessen?' (whose?).

When to use it

You use the genitive object in German when a verb specifically requires its object to be in the genitive case. This is less common in modern German, but some verbs still use it. It often expresses possession or a close relationship.

Key forms

• Verbs that require a genitive object (e.g. 'sich erinnern', 'sich bedienen', 'gedenken')
• Noun or pronoun in the genitive case: des Mannes, der Frau, des Kindes

Examples

Tips

• Only a few verbs in German use the genitive object; most verbs use accusative or dative.
• Pay attention to the endings of the genitive case: masculine and neuter nouns usually add -s or -es.
• In spoken German, people often replace the genitive with other cases, but in formal writing, the genitive is still used.

Exceptions and edge cases

• Some verbs that used to require the genitive now often use the dative in everyday language.
• With pronouns, the genitive forms are rarely used in spoken German.