New concept
His or her? Two choices
For his, her and their, German makes two choices:
- The owner picks the word: a man → sein; a woman → ihr; several people → ihr (their).
- The thing owned picks the ending, exactly as with mein: plain for der / das, -e for die and plurals.
| Owner | der / das | die / plural |
|---|---|---|
| er — his | sein | seine |
| sie — her | ihr | ihre |
| sie (plural) — their | ihr | ihre |
- Marcos und sein Hund — Marcos and his dog
- Frau Müller und ihr Garten — Frau Müller and her garden
- Herr Müller und seine Zeitung — Herr Müller and his newspaper
- Die Müllers und ihre Söhne — the Müllers and their sons
Sein also covers its for der and das words: das Haus und sein Garten — the house and its garden.