German A2 · Grammar cheat code
B1.1 · L8 · Genitiv Forms

Genitiv: des/der + noun-s for possession.

articledesderdes
noun ending-es-es
Das ist das Auto des Mannes.
Die Tasche der Frau ist schwer.
— Details —

-s for longer nouns. -es for short or consonant-heavy ones.

NounGenitiv form
der Mann (1 syllable)des Mannes (-es)
das Kind (1 syllable)des Kindes (-es)
der Vater (2 syllables)des Vaters (-s)
das Mädchen (2 syllables)des Mädchens (-s)
Das Ende des Films war überraschend.
Die Farbe des Himmels ist blau.
Questions
What is the rule for Genitiv Forms?
Genitiv: des/der + noun-s for possession.
How do I use Genitiv Forms?
Monosyllabic nouns and nouns ending in -s, -ß, -z, -x usually take -es. Longer nouns take -s.
Before this lesson
Article Cases
After this lesson
Genitiv Prepositions
Open in the app → Interactive canvas with practice exercises