Demonstrative Pronouns (Demonstrativpronomen)

Demonstrative pronouns are used to "point to" a specific person or thing. They replace a noun while emphasizing it.

The main forms are dies- (this, these) and jen- (that, those).

1. dieser (this) and jener (that)

These are the most direct way to say "this one" or "that one." They take the same "strong" endings as the definite articles.

Declension (follows "der" endings): | Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | Nom. | dieser | diese | dieses | diese | | Akk. | diesen | diese | dieses | diese | | Dat. | diesem | dieser | diesem | diesen | | Gen. | dieses | dieser | dieses | dieser |

Note: jener (that) follows the exact same pattern. jener, jene, jenes, etc. It is less common in modern speech, where der is often used instead.

Examples: * Ich mag diesen Pullover. (I like this sweater.) * Dieses Haus ist alt. (This house is old.) * Jener Mann dort drüben ist mein Onkel. (That man over there is my uncle.)

2. der, die, das (as Pronouns)

In German, the definite articles der, die, das can also be used as strong demonstrative pronouns ("that one," "those"). This is very common.

They decline almost identically to the articles, but with crucial differences in the Genitive and Dative Plural.

Declension (as Pronouns): | Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | Nom. | der | die | das | die | | Akk. | den | die | das | die | | Dat. | dem | der | dem | denen | | Gen. | dessen | deren | dessen | deren |

Examples: * A: Welchen Mantel nimmst du? (Which coat are you taking?) B: Ich nehme den. (I'm taking that one.) * A: Wem hast du geholfen? (Whom did you help?) B: Denen da drüben. (Those ones over there.) * *Das Auto, dessen Farbe rot ist... (The car, whose color is red...) - Also used as a relative pronoun.*

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