der Besitz
possession / property
Full 4-Case Declension Table
Switch determiner types to inspect how articles and noun endings change together.
Definite (der / die / das): Used for specific, already known, or general-category nouns.
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | der Besitz | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | den Besitz | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | dem Besitz | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | des Besitzes | — (singular only) |
Indefinite (ein / eine): Used when introducing a countable singular noun; has no plural article in German.
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | ein Besitz | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | einen Besitz | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | einem Besitz | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | eines Besitzes | — (singular only) |
Negative (kein / keine): Negates nouns with or without an indefinite article; follows ein-words in singular and die in plural.
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | kein Besitz | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | keinen Besitz | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | keinem Besitz | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | keines Besitzes | — (singular only) |
Possessive (mein / dein / …): Uses ein-word endings in singular and definite-like endings in plural (mein/dein/sein/ihr/unser/euer/Ihr).
| Case (Fall) | Question | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
Nominative Nominativ (Werfall) | Wer oder was? | mein Besitz | — (singular only) |
Accusative Akkusativ (Wenfall) | Wen oder was? | meinen Besitz | — (singular only) |
Dative Dativ (Wemfall) | Wem? | meinem Besitz | — (singular only) |
Genitive Genitiv (Wesfall) | Wessen? | meines Besitzes | — (singular only) |
Why These Endings Work
Standard pattern for most masculine (der) and neuter (das) nouns: genitive singular ends in -s or -es.
- Uncountable / singular-only noun in standard usage (no common plural table).
Example Sentences in Context
Das Haus ist im Besitz der Familie.
The house is in the possession of the family.
Bei der Teilung des Besitzes streiten die Geschwister.
The siblings argue over dividing up the property.
Interactive Tools & Related Guides
More Nouns in Work & Bureaucracy
FAQs: der Besitz
Is "Besitz" der, die, or das in German?
"Besitz" takes the masculine definite article "der" (der Besitz). Gender cue: Lexical gender — memorize together with its article.
What is the plural and Dative plural of "der Besitz"?
"der Besitz" is normally uncountable (singular-only) in standard German and does not form a common plural table.
How does "der Besitz" change in the Genitive, Accusative, and Dative?
As a strong masculine noun, "Besitz" changes only in the Genitive singular (des Besitzes); Accusative and Dative keep "Besitz".