In German

der Frau

Meaning: “der Frau” (of the woman) — Genitiv, feminine: shows possession

Example sentences

  • DasAutoderFrauistneu.

    The woman's car is new.

  • DerNamederFrauistAnna.

    The woman's name is Anna.

  • DieTaschederFrauistschwarz.

    The woman's bag is black.

Grammar note

Feminine “der” in the Genitiv looks exactly like feminine “der” in the Dativ — the noun itself doesn't change either way, so only the sentence tells you which case it is.

Common mistake

Don't try to distinguish feminine Dativ from feminine Genitiv by the article alone — both are “der Frau”. Look for possession (“the car of the woman”) versus an indirect object (“I give the woman…”).

Quick check

In “Das Auto der Frau ist neu”, which case is “der Frau” in?

More words on this topic

die Frau“die Frau” (the woman) — Nominativ, feminine: the subject of the sentencedie Frau“die Frau” (the woman) — Akkusativ, feminine: the direct objectder Frau“der Frau” (the woman) — Dativ, feminine: the indirect objectdes Mannes“des Mannes” (of the man) — Genitiv, masculine: shows possession

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Frequently asked questions

Why are feminine Dativ and Genitiv identical?

Both happen to use “der” with no ending added to the noun — a coincidence of German's case endings.

How do I tell them apart in practice?

Genitiv shows possession, often right after another noun (“das Auto der Frau”); Dativ follows a verb like “geben” or “helfen”.