B1 Danish GrammarGenitive Case
Express possession and relationships between nouns in Danish using the genitive -s ending. Unlike German, Danish has a simple genitive system with just one form. Master possessive constructions with proper nouns, common nouns, and pronouns.
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1Basic Genitive Formation with -s
Danish forms the genitive by adding -s directly to the noun, similar to English. There is no apostrophe in Danish. This works for all nouns regardless of gender or number. The genitive noun comes before the possessed item: Peters bil (Peter's car), hundens navn (the dog's name).
Genitive Formation
| Base Noun | Genitive | + Possessed Noun | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter | Peters | Peters hus | Peter's house |
| hunden | hundens | hundens mad | the dog's food |
| Danmark | Danmarks | Danmarks hovedstad | Denmark's capital |
| læreren | lærerens | lærerens bog | the teacher's book |
| pigerne | pigernes | pigernes værelse | the girls' room |
Examples
Marias cykel er rød.
Maria's bicycle is red.
proper noun + s (no apostrophe)
Hundens navn er Max.
The dog's name is Max.
definite noun + s
Byens centrum er smukt.
The city's center is beautiful.
byens = byen + s
Børnenes legetøj ligger på gulvet.
The children's toys are on the floor.
plural definite + s
2Genitive with Names Ending in -s
When a name already ends in -s, -x, or -z, you can either add -s (Lars's) or use an apostrophe alone (Lars'). Both forms are acceptable in Danish. In speech, the extra syllable is often dropped. For common nouns ending in -s, just add genitive -s.
Names Ending in -s
| Name | Option 1 | Option 2 | With Noun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lars | Lars' | Larses | Lars'/Larses bil |
| Hans | Hans' | Hanses | Hans'/Hanses hund |
| Agnes | Agnes' | Agneses | Agnes'/Agneses have |
| Andreas | Andreas' | Andreases | Andreas'/Andreases job |
Examples
Lars' bror bor i Odense.
Lars's brother lives in Odense.
apostrophe after s-ending name
Hanses hus er stort.
Hans's house is big.
alternative with -es ending
Agnes' fødselsdag er i morgen.
Agnes's birthday is tomorrow.
apostrophe form (more common)
Husenes tage er røde.
The houses' roofs are red.
common noun: huse → husenes
3Alternative: sin/sit/sine Possessives
Instead of genitive, Danish often uses possessive determiners (sin/sit/sine) when the possessor is the subject of the sentence. Sin refers back to a third-person subject: Han tog sin jakke (He took his [own] jacket). This avoids ambiguity about whose item it is.
Sin/sit/sine vs Genitive
| Danish | English | Possessor |
|---|---|---|
| Han kører sin bil. | He drives his (own) car. | subject = possessor |
| Han kører Peters bil. | He drives Peter's car. | Peter = possessor |
| Hun elsker sit barn. | She loves her (own) child. | subject = possessor |
| Hun elsker Marias barn. | She loves Maria's child. | Maria = possessor |
Examples
Peter spiser sin mad.
Peter eats his (own) food.
sin refers back to Peter (subject)
Peter spiser Annas mad.
Peter eats Anna's food.
genitive: someone else's food
Hun glemte sine nøgler.
She forgot her (own) keys.
sine for plural (her own)
Barnet leger med sit legetøj.
The child plays with its (own) toy.
sit for neuter (its own)
4Genitive in Fixed Expressions
Danish uses genitive in many fixed expressions, particularly with time, measurement, and abstract concepts. Some of these follow older patterns. Common examples include: om to dages tid (in two days' time), en times kørsel (an hour's drive), for pokkers (for heaven's sake).
Common Genitive Expressions
| Danish | Literal | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| om to dages tid | in two days' time | in two days |
| en times tid | an hour's time | about an hour |
| for himlens skyld | for heaven's sake | for heaven's sake |
| livets glæder | life's joys | the joys of life |
| verdens ende | world's end | the end of the world |
Examples
Jeg kommer om en uges tid.
I'll come in about a week's time.
en uges tid = approximately one week
Det er livets gang.
That's the way of life.
fixed expression with genitive
Til verdens ende.
To the end of the world.
verdens = world's
Der er en times ventetid.
There is an hour's waiting time.
times + noun compound
Practice Exercises
5 exercises
Form the genitive: 'kvinden' (the woman) → ___ ansigt (the woman's face)
Form the genitive: 'byen' (the city) → ___ lys (the city's lights)
Complete: 'Michael følte sig som ___ skuffelse.' (Michael felt like the family's disappointment.)
Complete: 'Bedstemor viser ___ kat.' (Grandma shows her [own] cat.)
Complete: 'Maria parkerede ___ bil.' (Maria parked her [own] car.)
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
“Margaret kiggede omhyggeligt på kvindens ansigt.”
“Hun kunne se byens lys nedenunder.”
“Michael følte sig som familiens skuffelse, der aldrig kunne leve op til forventningerne.”
“Bedstemor viser sin kat.”
“Maria parkerede sin bil uden for en velkendt etageejendom.”
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