Demonstrativpronomen (Demonstratives: dieser, der, derselbe)
Demonstratives point to someone or something: this, that, these, those. The most common ones in German are dieser and the stressed der, die, das. dieser and jener take the endings of der, die, das.
dieser (this, that)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | dieser | diese | dieses | diese |
| Akkusativ | diesen | diese | dieses | diese |
| Dativ | diesem | dieser | diesem | diesen |
| Genitiv | dieses | dieser | dieses | dieser |
dieser means this and, in everyday German, often that as well. jener (that) works the same way but is mainly used in writing: dieses Buch oder jenes. In speech, der, die, das + da or dort is used instead: Nimmst du diese Jacke? – Nein, lieber die da. (No, I'd rather have that one.)
Dieses Fenster ist kaputt.This window is broken.
Welche Bluse gefällt dir, diese oder die da?Which blouse do you like, this one or that one?
Möchten Sie diese Hose anprobieren? – Nein, lieber die dort.Would you like to try on these trousers? – No, I'd rather try those. (die Hose is singular in German.)
In diesem Haus hat Goethe gewohnt.Goethe lived in this house.
der, die, das as pronouns
The stressed der, die, das can replace a noun or a person, often at the start of the sentence. The forms are the same as the relative pronouns: dative plural denen, genitive dessen, deren.
Kennst du Herrn Weber? – Ja, den kenne ich gut.Do you know Mr Weber? – Yes, I know him well.
Wo ist die Zeitung? – Die liegt auf dem Tisch.Where's the newspaper? – It's on the table.
Das weiß ich nicht.I don't know (that).
das is also used to introduce people and things, whatever their gender or number: Das ist mein Bruder. Das sind meine Eltern.
Common mistake
Dieser ist mein Bruder. is wrong; correct: Das ist mein Bruder.
To introduce someone (This is my brother), German uses das ist or das sind, even for a masculine noun or a plural. Dies ist mein Bruder is also possible. dieser alone is used to pick one out of several: Welcher ist dein Bruder? – Dieser.
derselbe and derjenige
derselbe, dieselbe, dasselbe means the same (one). derjenige, diejenige, dasjenige means the one (who) and is usually followed by a relative clause. Both are written as one word, and both parts are declined: the first like the article, the second like an adjective after der: demselben, denjenigen. After a preposition merged with the article, selben is written separately: im selben Haus, am selben Tag.
Wir wohnen im selben Haus.We live in the same house.
Sie trägt dasselbe Kleid wie gestern.She's wearing the same dress as yesterday.
Diejenigen, die fertig sind, können gehen.Those who have finished can go.
Check yourself
Written by: Fatih Ün, German teacher · Last updated: