B1-16 · Use genitive forms to connect nouns
The job market
Read a fictional employment report and practise singular and plural genitives.
About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions
01
Whose plan or report?
At a fictional careers centre, adviser Mira reads a report about local employment. The genitive links nouns. Masculine and neuter singular nouns usually take des and an ending in -s or -es.
Der Bericht des Betriebs liegt auf dem Tisch.
The company's report is on the table.
Die Leitung des Unternehmens sucht Personal.
The management of the company is looking for staff.
Die Entwicklung des Arbeitsmarktes wird im Bericht beschrieben.
The development of the job market is described in the report.
Das Ziel des Projekts ist eine feste Stelle.
The project's goal is a permanent job.
Der Betrieb becomes des Betriebs; das Unternehmen becomes des Unternehmens. The first noun keeps the case required by its own sentence.
02
Industries and employment
Mira compares two invented industries in the report. Feminine singular nouns use der in the genitive. Unlike masculine and neuter nouns, they do not gain an extra genitive ending.
Die Zukunft der Branche ist das Thema.
The future of the industry is the topic.
Die Leiterin der Firma stellt zwei Personen ein.
The head of the firm hires two people.
Die Dauer der Beschäftigung steht im Vertrag.
The duration of employment is stated in the contract.
Die Zahl der Stellen steigt in dieser erfundenen Branche.
The number of jobs is rising in this invented industry.
Branche means an industry or sector. Beschäftigung means employment. In die Zukunft der Branche, der Branche identifies whose future is being discussed.
03
Plural genitives
The report ends with the plans of several firms and some unemployed people. Plural genitives use der. Do not add the dative plural ending merely because a noun follows another noun.
Die Pläne der Betriebe liegen vor.
The companies' plans are available.
Die Angebote der Unternehmen stehen online.
The companies' offers are online.
Die Wünsche der Arbeitslosen werden im Bericht genannt.
The wishes of the unemployed people are named in the report.
Die Namen der Branchen stehen in der Tabelle.
The names of the industries are in the table.
Compare die Pläne der Betriebe with mit den Betrieben. The genitive plural is der Betriebe. An adjective used as a noun can also appear here, as in der Arbeitslosen.
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