A German holiday market stall

Study Resource: The forms of demonstrative pronouns in German

By: Dr. Daniel Krauße

Forms of ‘dies-’ and ‘jen-’

These forms are the same for demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns.

Declension of the German demonstratives dies- and jen-
Case
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Plural

Nominative

(subject)

dieserjener
diesejene
diesesjenes
diesejene

Accusative

(direct object)

diesenjenen
diesejene
diesesjenes
diesejene

Dative

(indirect object)

diesemjenem
dieserjener
diesemjenem
diesemjenem

Genitive

(possessor)

diesesjenes
dieserjener
diesesjenes
dieserjener

Forms of ‘der, die, das’ as a demonstrative pronoun

The following forms are used when der/die/das is used as a demonstrative pronoun.

Declension of the German demonstrative pronoun der/die/das
Case
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Plural

Nominative

(subject)

der
die
das
die

Accusative

(direct object)

den
die
das
die

Dative

(indirect object)

dem
der
dem
denen

Genitive

(possessor)

dessen
derer / deren*
dessen
derer / deren*

*Use deren when the pronoun stands before the noun representing what is being possessed, use derer after the noun:

Das ist deren Auto.

That's the car of those.

Das ist das Auto derer, die im Restaurant sitzen.

That's the car of those, who are sitting in the restaurant.

But please note that all genitive demonstratives are hardly ever used in spoken German.

Forms of ‘derjenige’ and ‘dasselbe’

The following forms are used for demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns.

Declension of the German demonstratives derjenige and dasselbe
Case
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Plural

Nominative

(subject)

derjenigederselbe
diejenigedieselbe
dasjenigedasselbe
diejenigendieselben

Accusative

(direct object)

denjenigendenselben
diejenigedieselbe
dasjenigedasselbe
diejenigendieselben

Dative

(indirect object)

demjenigendemselben
derjenigenderselben
demjenigendemselben
denjenigenderselben

Genitive

(possessor)

desjenigendesselben
derjenigenderselben
desjenigendesselben
derjenigenderselben

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