Dativegjenitive

Dativegjenitive, also called the Dativgenitiv phenomenon, is a grammatical construction found in Germanic languages, most notably in everyday German. It expresses possession by combining a dative noun phrase with a possessive determiner, rather than forming a noun phrase with a genitive attribute. The canonical genitive equivalent would be das Auto des Mannes, while the dative-genitive form is dem Mann sein Auto.

In practice, a typical instance appears as a dative noun phrase followed by a possessive pronoun and a head noun: dem Mann sein Auto, der Frau ihr Haus. Here, the possessor is indicated by the possessive pronoun (sein, ihr, etc.), which agrees with the possessor in person and number, while the possessed item remains the head noun (Auto, Haus). The entire phrase means “the man’s car” or “the woman’s house.” The dative noun phrase and the possessive pronoun together substitute for a genitive construction.

Usage and status vary by register. The dative-genitive form is common in spoken and informal German and is widely understood across dialects, but it is often discouraged or avoided in formal writing, where das Auto des Mannes or dessen Auto might be preferred. Critics argue that it can be less precise or stylistically less elegant in formal contexts, while supporters view it as a natural, efficient way to express possession in speech.

Linguists study the phenomenon as a case of possessor marking and case assignment, noting its parallels to similar possessive constructions in other Germanic languages, as well as its ongoing role in contemporary spoken German.