Possessive words say who something belongs to. Each one has a fixed base (mein = my, dein = your…) and then takes the same endings as ein/kein, matching the gender and case of the thing owned — not the owner.
| Owner | Possessive | Owner | Possessive |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | mein | wir | unser |
| du | dein | ihr | euer |
| er/es | sein | sie (they) | ihr |
| sie (she) | ihr | Sie (formal) | Ihr |
Endings follow the noun
mein Vater (m)
my father
masculine nom. → no ending
meine Mutter (f)
my mother
feminine → -e
mein Kind (n)
my child
neuter nom. → no ending
meine Eltern (pl)
my parents
plural → -e
Ich sehe meinen Vater.
I see my father.
masc. accusative → -en
✗Das ist meine Vater.
✓Das ist mein Vater.
Masculine nominative takes no ending.
✗Ich liebe mein Mutter.
✓Ich liebe meine Mutter.
Feminine needs -e: meine.
Tipp · Think of the possessives as a family of ein-words: give them exactly the endings you'd give ein/kein for the same gender and case.