German Pronouns: Complete Guide with Rules, Cases and Examples

Pronouns are used to replace nouns and avoid boring and dry speaking or writing, turning them into a native-like flow of your speech. In German, they are a little different from the English variants because they have to be adjusted to gender, number, and cases (we will review them later). 

Pronouns in German can be applied to people, animals, and things, so by learning them, you expand your grammar knowledge and master all the essential skills needed to become a fluent speaker. 

In this material, we will consider all the required information for you to have a guide with clear instructions on how to use it correctly, construct sentences, and more.

You already know why pronouns are important for German, as they are used to make your language richer, as you don’t need to name a thing or a person 30 times when describing them (which is actually too boring once you think about it). 

It’s time to study all the kinds of terms that are used to replace nouns, using our German pronouns table we made for each of the types.

Here is a quick summary of the different types of German pronouns to help you understand their roles before exploring them in detail:

Understanding the function of each pronoun type will help you use them correctly and make your German sound more natural. As you continue reading, you’ll see examples and grammar rules that bring each category to life, so keep this summary in mind as your foundation.

Overview of Pronouns in German

Personal pronouns

They are used to talk about things, animals, and humans in all situations, from common ones like speaking to a friend or relative, to formal ones like job interviews:

• ich 
• du
• er
• sie
• es
• wir 
• ihr (plural) 

Common examples: 

Reflexive pronouns 

You can use this type to reflect on them (or yourself), indicating that they do something on their own, like “himself” in English:

• ich → mich/ihr 
• du → dich/dir 
• er/sie/es → sich 

Common examples: 

Possessive pronouns 

If you want to note that something belongs to you or other people, you need to use this kind, and here are all of them to remember: 

• mein 
• dein 
• sein 
• ihr (her) 
• unser 
• euer
• ihr (their) 
• Ihr (your formal) 

Common examples: 

Demonstrative pronouns 

To point out something or someone that may be close to you, far away, indicate “the same,” and so on, you have to use:

• dieser 
• jener 
• derselbe 
• derjenige 

Common examples: 

Interrogative pronouns 

Using the named samples below, you will be able to ask simple and complex questions, as we can not imagine communication without this type of sentence:

• wer
• wen
• wem
• was
• welcher 

Common examples: 

Relative pronouns 

When you need to identify a person or a thing with more detail, it is advisable to use a relative type:

• der
• die
• das
• welcher
• welche 
• welches 

Common examples: 

Indefinite pronouns 

In the case where you don’t know humans or things or can not name them (because you don’t see them or know anything about them), use: 

• man 
• jemand 
• niemand 
• etwas
• nichts 
• alle 

Common examples: 

For now, you are aware of each type of pronoun and know what to practice and what to include for improvement in your daily learning. Further, we will consider some nuances about these German language pronouns that you have to remember. 

How to Choose the Right Pronoun

Not sure which German pronoun to use? Here’s a quick logic map:

Who is doing the action?
→ Use a personal pronoun: ich, du, er, etc.

Who receives the action?
→ Use an accusative or dative form.

Is it something that belongs to someone?
→ Use a possessive pronoun: mein, dein, etc.

Is it a question?
→ Use an interrogative pronoun: wer, was, etc.

Are you connecting two sentences?
→ Use a relative pronoun: der, die, das.

You have come to this point in our material, which means it is time to learn one of the most intricate grammar areas that defines how clear and natural your German is. It can be a completely new theme for learners whose first language doesn’t have declension (like English), so here, you will find the full explanation. 

Let’s start with the four core cases: 

1. Nominative for the subject 
2. Accusative for the direct object 
3. Dative for the indirect object 
4. Genitive to demonstrate possession

Below, you will find how they change according to these cases, with real-world examples so you can use them in your daily communication. 

Personal pronouns

Examples: 

 Reflexive pronouns

Examples: 

Demonstrative pronouns

Examples: 

Interrogative pronouns 

Examples: 

Relative pronouns 

Examples: 

All these tables seem like a lot to do, and that’s true, but let us save you from mechanical memorization as you can learn all these pronouns in German language in life-like context, connecting them with situations that happen daily — in a supermarket, at school, etc. 

The proper way to avoid mistakes is to be aware of them, and especially about those that are typical for most students. You will read about ones that take place in communication, reading, writing, and which impact your fluency. 

Confusing du and Sie

Informal and formal words can be challenging for new learners and can cause misunderstandings in social interactions with other people, who may be your friends or just strangers. 

Du is a term used for casual conversation, and in English, it is a simple you that can confuse students even more. The tip here is to remember this part of grammar and in the list of German pronouns, differentiate du as the one used for close people. 

When it comes to Sie, it has a wide usage for older people, strangers on the street when you need to ask directions, your colleagues, and so on. In such a way, you show respect, which is essential in formal situations. 

Mixing up accusative and dative

These cases are tricky because non-natives need to learn the rules, as there is no intuitive navigation between them. To remember it well, you need to memorize that the accusative is used for naming direct objects, while the dative is used for indirect objects only. 

You need to study dative verbs carefully, and use these pronouns according to their usage, focusing on objects, indirect and direct ones. 

Ignoring pronouns to avoid repetitiveness

Using a pronoun in German is not a walk in the park but it is the way to improve your speech and writing skills, so here is a review of the mistakes that take place in the studying process among new learners.

To make your German more natural and fluent, it is essential to use these terms and align them with cases (we have considered them), gender, numbers, and more. Here is how it works: 

Mistaking genders

German is more complicated in pronouns because you need to differentiate gender even for things, not only for people. It means that you can’t use er for a female (talking to a girl or a woman), and using it this way will sound weird. 

Here are some samples:

Summing up, you know about the core errors to pay attention to, so you can avoid them by practicing more and more, using relevant resources. Don’t be afraid of mistakes as we all make them — even native speakers — so put your efforts into constant studying, and check out our advice to make it more effective below.

The best way to memorize this theme is to make some engaging exercises that will help you to master pronouns knowledge. Here, you will find three activities that consider how you studied the terms and train your context understanding.

To learn faster, you need to use some recommendations that improve the workflow of your studying process and reduce the workload, as German is not the easiest language to choose for learning. 

Here, we gathered the most helpful advice from students worldwide to help you with all German pronouns: 

Tip 1. Add flashcards and spaced repetition. 

There is nothing better for memorization than repetitive practices, as you keep recalling the information, and it stays in your memory forever with time. If you are an analog person in love with paper and pen writing, you can make flashcards on your own, using a notepad. If you are more interested in the digital version, consider downloading apps like Quizlet and Anki to your tablet or phone.

How can it be helpful in other ways? Combined with active learning, it reduces the time you need to memorize complex pronouns as your brain will remember them, and you can skip those you already know so you don’t spend extra time. 

Tip 2. Turn to native content.

This advice reflects on the fact that you will use German in daily life, for work or at school, while reading books, ads, and so on. So another proven way to make learning more pleasurable and faster is to choose materials with simple grammar and vocabulary, like for children, and watch videos to perceive dialogs from natives. 

Tip 3. Use speaking drills for more fluency.

You need to learn how to talk using a German pronouns list, and this type of activity is one of the top and is implemented by many schools as they use games to make the study more engaging. You can do it on your own, for example, finding a pic on Pinterest or else, filled with people, and describe what you see there (using as many terms as you can).

Stay active and enjoy the learning process using the tips above, and see what works the best for you and matches your style. 

For now, you are a pro when it comes to the usage of the named terms in German, from personal, which replace names, to possessive to showcase ownership to someone. To master this language topic, keep practicing with engaging exercises, spending as much time as you can daily. Check out our next material, “German Cases Made Simple,” and gain more knowledge.