sein
/zaɪ̯n/masculine
The German word for his is sein. Wiktionary also lists n.
Meaning: attributive: belonging to him (det)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sein | /zaɪ̯n/ (Germany) /saɪ̯n/ |
masculine |
| n | /ʔɛn/ |
The word sein is used as an attributive possessive adjective to indicate that something belongs to a male person.
Which one should you use?
In German, the possessive adjective sein refers to the gender of the possessor (him), whereas ihr refers to her.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form sein is used when the noun it modifies is masculine or neuter in the nominative case. The form seine is used when the noun it modifies is feminine or plural in the nominative case. The form seinen is used when the noun it modifies is masculine in the accusative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/zaɪ̯n/
Did you know?
- The German word sein for 'his' shares the exact same spelling and pronunciation as the German verb 'to be'.
- While sein means 'his', the word is also used as the possessive for 'its' when referring to neuter nouns.
- The German word sein is a cognate of the Old English word sīn, which also meant 'his' or 'his own'.
Examples in context
- Wo ist sein Büro?Where's his office?This sentence shows how to use sein to ask about a masculine or neuter noun in the nominative case.Tatoeba #8098339 by Yorwba, translation #7968174 by CH
- Wo ist sein Foto?Where's his photo?Tatoeba #12498578 by mhr, translation #13089284 by araneo
- Er hält sein Wort.He is a man of his word.Tatoeba #641104 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #293314 by CH
- Dies ist sein Buch.This is his book.
- Das ist sein Auto.This is his car.
- Ich habe seine Telefonnummer.I have his phone number.
- Des is sei Bier.That's his beer.
- 15665 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are in a living room.
- LauraIst das sein Mantel?Is that his coat?
- MaximilianJa, das ist sein Mantel.Yes, that is his coat.
- LauraWo ist er?Where is he?
- MaximilianEr ist in der Küche.He is in the kitchen.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “his” translations and entries sein, n, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry N.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
