-s/-es
Genitive Noun Ending
In German, masculine and neuter singular nouns change their ending in the genitive case. This usually involves adding an -s or -es to the end of the noun, alongside the article change to des.
How It Works
The choice between -s and -es depends on the sound and length of the noun:
- -es is mandatory: When the noun ends in a sibilant (hissing sound) like -s, -ss, -ß, -z, -tz, or -x (e.g., des Glases).
- -es is preferred: For most one-syllable nouns to make them easier to hear (e.g., des Kindes, des Mannes).
- -s is mandatory: For nouns ending in unstressed syllables, especially those ending in -en, -el, -er, -chen, or -lein (e.g., des Vaters, des Mädchens).
Note that weak masculine nouns are an exception; they take -n or -en instead of -s. In modern spoken German, people often use von + dative instead, but the genitive ending remains the standard for formal writing and literature.
Examples (5)
- Die Farbe des Himmels ist blau.
The color of the sky is blue.
Word by Word: The color of-the sky is blue.
'Himmel' is masculine. Because it ends in '-el', it only takes a simple '-s' ending.
- Das ist das Ende des Buches.
That is the end of the book.
Word by Word: That is the end of-the book.
'Buch' is neuter and one syllable, so the '-es' ending is preferred for a better rhythm.
- Trotz des Regens spielen wir draußen.
Despite the rain, we are playing outside.
Word by Word: Despite of-the rain play we outside.
The preposition 'trotz' requires the genitive case. 'Regen' ends in '-en', so it takes only '-s'.
- Der Geschmack des Glases ist neutral.
The taste of the glass is neutral.
Word by Word: The taste of-the glass is neutral.
Because 'Glas' ends in 's', the '-es' ending is mandatory to make the case audible.
- Das Auto meines Vaters ist neu.
My father's car is new.
Word by Word: The car of-my father is new.
Possessive determiners like 'mein' also trigger the genitive ending on the noun.
Common Mistakes
Using an apostrophe before the -s (Deppenapostroph).
Das Auto des Vater's.Das Auto des Vaters.Unlike English, German never uses an apostrophe for the standard genitive noun ending. This is a common error influenced by English.
Forgetting the noun ending entirely.
Die Tür des Haus ist rot.Die Tür des Hauses ist rot.The genitive requires 'double marking.' You must change both the article (des) and add the ending (-s/-es) to the noun.
Adding -s to weak masculine nouns.
Der Name des Students.Der Name des Studenten.Nouns belonging to the 'N-Declension' (weak nouns) take -en in the genitive instead of -s.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the genitive noun ending, you first need to understand the German case system and how noun gender (masculine vs. neuter) determines when these endings are applied. Additionally, since these endings usually appear alongside genitive articles, you should be familiar with those article forms first.
Related Patterns
- Genitive Prepositions
Certain prepositions like 'trotz' or 'während' require the noun to take the genitive ending.
Level 3 - Genitive Replaced By Von + Dative
In casual speech, the genitive ending is often avoided by using 'von' followed by the dative case.
Level 3 - Weak Masculine Nouns
Weak masculine nouns follow a different rule and do not use the -s/-es ending.
Level 2 - Genitive Of Proper Names
Names also take an -s ending in the genitive, but usually without an article (e.g., Peters Buch).
Level 4 - The Four Cases
The genitive is one of the four cases in the German grammatical system.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice -s/-es in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes German lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
