Changes in the family
Meine Schwester hat geheiratet.
Describe family relationships and recent changes without confusing whose family is meant.
Use familiar family words with possessives: mein Bruder, meine Schwester, unsere Eltern. The ending belongs to the German noun and its case: mein Bruder but meine Schwester; ich besuche meinen Bruder. Sein refers to a male or neuter possessor, ihr to a female possessor or several possessors. Make the person clear first: Das ist Nora. Ihr Bruder heißt Ben. Recent changes often use Perfekt: Meine Schwester hat geheiratet; mein Bruder ist umgezogen. Heiraten uses haben, and umziehen in the sense of moving home uses sein. Do not infer family relationships from a surname alone; use the information in the text.
Meine Schwester hat geheiratet.
My sister has got married.
Mein Bruder ist nach Köln umgezogen.
My brother has moved to Cologne.
Unsere Eltern wohnen noch in Bonn.
Our parents still live in Bonn.
Das ist Nora. Ihr Bruder heißt Ben.
This is Nora. Her brother is called Ben.
Ben besucht seine Schwester am Sonntag.
Ben is visiting his sister on Sunday.
Ich besuche meinen Bruder nächste Woche.
I am visiting my brother next week.
Use familiar family words with possessives: mein Bruder, meine Schwester, unsere Eltern. The ending belongs to the German noun and its case: mein Bruder but meine Schwester; ich besuche meinen Bruder. Sein refers to a male or neuter possessor, ihr to a female possessor or several possessors. Make the person clear first: Das ist Nora. Ihr Bruder heißt Ben. Recent changes often use Perfekt: Meine Schwester hat geheiratet; mein Bruder ist umgezogen. Heiraten uses haben, and umziehen in the sense of moving home uses sein. Do not infer family relationships from a surname alone; use the information in the text.
Describe family relationships and recent changes without confusing whose family is meant.
When speaking about Nora’s brother, say ihr Bruder, not sein Bruder. The ending still follows Bruder, not the gender of Nora.
mein Bruder · meine Schwester · meinen Bruder besuchen; Nora → ihr Bruder; Ben → seine Schwester. Hat geheiratet / ist umgezogen.
Invent a family of three people. Explain two relationships and one recent change, then check that each possessive has a clear owner.