dieser/diese/dieses
This/These
Use dieser (masc.), diese (fem./pl.), or dieses (neut.) to say 'this' or 'these'. It changes its ending based on the noun's gender and case.
How It Works
The demonstrative dieser is a 'der-word,' meaning it follows the same declension pattern as the definite article der.
1. Agreement:
You must match the ending to the noun's gender, number, and case:
- Masculine: dieser Mann (Nom), diesen Mann (Acc), diesem Mann (Dat)
- Feminine: diese Frau (Nom/Acc), dieser Frau (Dat)
- Neuter: dieses Kind (Nom/Acc), diesem Kind (Dat)
- Plural: diese Kinder (Nom/Acc), diesen Kindern (Dat)
2. Usage:
While English distinguishes between 'this' (near) and 'that' (far), German often uses dieser for both. If you need to be specific about something far away, you usually add an adverb like dort (there), e.g., dieser Baum dort.
3. Introduction vs. Specificity:
When introducing a new topic or person for the first time (e.g., 'This is my brother'), Germans usually use the invariant word das (Das ist mein Bruder) or the more formal dies (Dies ist mein Bruder). Use dieser when you are selecting a specific one from a group (e.g., 'I like this brother better').
4. Spoken Alternative:
In everyday spoken German, people often use stressed definite articles (der, die, das) as demonstratives instead of dieser. For example, instead of saying 'Ich nehme diesen Kuchen,' someone might say 'Den nehme ich' (I'll take that one).
Examples (5)
- Dieser Apfel ist sehr süß.
This apple is very sweet.
Word by Word: This apple is very sweet.
Here, 'dieser' is masculine nominative because 'Apfel' is a masculine subject.
- Ich möchte diesen Kuchen kaufen.
I would like to buy this cake.
Word by Word: I would like this cake to buy.
The ending changes to -en because 'Kuchen' is the direct object (accusative case).
- Diese Schuhe gefallen mir.
I like these shoes.
Word by Word: These shoes please me.
'Diese' is used here for the plural noun 'Schuhe'.
- Dieses Haus ist alt.
This house is old.
Word by Word: This house is old.
'Dieses' matches the neuter noun 'Haus'.
- Welchen Wein trinken wir? Diesen hier.
Which wine are we drinking? This one here.
Word by Word: Which wine drink we? This here.
'Diesen' is used as a pronoun standing alone, referring back to the masculine 'Wein' in the accusative.
Common Mistakes
Using 'dieser' for all genders.
Ich mag dieser Frau.Ich mag diese Frau.You must change the ending to match the feminine noun 'Frau'.
Forgetting the accusative -en for masculine nouns.
Ich sehe dieser Hund.Ich sehe diesen Hund.When a masculine noun is the direct object, 'dieser' must become 'diesen'.
Using 'dieses' to introduce people.
Dieses ist mein Freund Lukas.Das ist mein Freund Lukas.For general introductions ('This is...'), German uses the invariant 'Das' regardless of gender.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'dieser/diese/dieses' correctly, you need to know the gender of the noun you are referring to and the grammatical case it occupies in the sentence, as the endings of this demonstrative pronoun mirror those of the definite articles.
Related Patterns
- welcher/welche/welchesWhich
Welcher (which) uses the exact same endings as dieser.
Level 1 - Accusative Case Articles
Understanding the accusative case is vital for choosing the correct ending (diesen) for masculine objects.
Level 1 - Dative Case Articles
In the dative case, dieser changes its endings (diesem, dieser, diesen) just like the definite articles.
Level 2 - hier/da/dortHere/There
These adverbs are often added to 'dieser' to clarify if something is 'this one here' or 'that one there'.
Level 1 - Adjective Endings After Der-Words
Adjectives coming after 'dieser' use 'weak' endings (e.g., dieser gute Wein).
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice dieser/diese/dieses in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes German lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
