Demonstrativpronomen

Demonstrative pronouns point to a specific person or thing — "this one" or "that one" — without repeating the noun. Dieser/diese/dieses is the workhorse form you'll use in everyday German. Jener (that, over there) exists but is mostly literary today.

Dieser — this one (near)Jener — that one (far, formal/literary)Endings follow the same pattern as the definite article der/die/das

Deklinationstabelle: dieser und jener

Case	Stem	Maskulin	Feminin	Neutrum	Plural
Nominativ	dies-	dieser	diese	dieses	diese
Nominativ	jen- (literary / formal)	jener	jene	jenes	jene
Akkusativ	dies-	diesen	diese	dieses	diese
Akkusativ	jen- (literary / formal)	jenen	jene	jenes	jene
Dativ	dies-	diesem	dieser	diesem	diesen
Dativ	jen- (literary / formal)	jenem	jener	jenem	jenen
Genitiv	dies-	dieses	dieser	dieses	dieser
Genitiv	jen- (literary / formal)	jenes	jener	jenes	jener

Both stems take the same endings — the same alphabet as the definite article (der → dies-er, dem → dies-em, des → dies-es). _jen-_ is mostly literary today; everyday speech prefers _der … da_ or _dieser … dort_.

Dieser als Pronomen vs. als Artikel

Dieser can be used two ways. As an article it comes before a noun. As a pronoun it replaces the noun entirely.

Artikel (before noun)

dieser/diese/dieses + Nomen

Dieser Tisch gefällt mir. (I like this table.)

Pronomen (replaces noun)

dieser/diese/dieses alone — noun is implied

Dieser gefällt mir. (I like this one.)

Beispiele

Examples (tap to reveal translation)

5 of 20

Quick Check

Fill the gap: Ich helfe ___ Mann. (this man — Dativ, Maskulin)

Quick Check

Demonstrativpronomen follow the same declension pattern as ___.

Quick Check

Fill the gap: Ich habe ___ Buch schon gelesen. (this book — Akkusativ, Neutrum)

Related Topics

Prerequisites

NominativThe subject case — wer? was? (who? what?)AkkusativThe direct object case — wen? was? (whom? what?)DativThe indirect object case — wem? (to whom?)

PersonalpronomenPersonal pronoun declension: mich, dich, ihn, mir, dir, ihm — Akkusativ and Dativ forms RelativpronomenRelative pronouns der/die/das used to form relative clauses — identical to the definite article except dessen/deren/denen PossessivpronomenStandalone possessive pronouns: meiner, meines, meinem, deiner, seiner, ihrer — used without a following noun NominativThe subject case — wer? was? (who? what?)AkkusativThe direct object case — wen? was? (whom? what?)DativThe indirect object case — wem? (to whom?)GenitivThe possessive case — wessen? (whose?)

Commonly confused with

RelativpronomenRelative pronouns der/die/das used to form relative clauses — identical to the definite article except dessen/deren/denen PersonalpronomenPersonal pronoun declension: mich, dich, ihn, mir, dir, ihm — Akkusativ and Dativ forms