When a name specifies a particular river, city, country, person, etc., it is a proper noun. In colloquial German, proper names have an -s ending in the genitive case, with no apostrophe. However, you must omit the -s and use an apostrophe after the noun when that proper noun concludes in a sibilant (-s, -sch, -ss, -z, -tz, -x).

Exercise 35

Translate the following sentences into English.

• Karls Freundin ist in Deutschland.

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• Hans' Schwester macht eine Reise durch Deutschland.

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• Maries Hut liegt auf dem Tisch.

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• Georgs Vater kommt heute nicht.

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• Fritz' und Max' Vater wohnt in München.

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Exercise 36

With place names, you sometimes utilize the genitive -s. If you are using the preposition “von” instead of the genitive, though, you do not need to change the noun. Make sure that you do not attach an -s to the noun in the genitive when an adjective comes before the proper noun.

Translate the German into English.

• Goethes Werke              ________________________________

• der Sohn der alten Frau Hausmann

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• die Häuser von London              ___________________________

• die Werke des jungen Frost          _________________________

• die Länder Europas          _____________________________

• Frau Werkmeisters Sohn      _________________________

• Europas Dichter      ________________________________

• die groöen Städte von China

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Exercise 37

TRACK 5

Make sure that you put a proper noun in the genitive when a title is used with the proper name. When an article comes before the proper noun, do not change it. You must, however, add a genitive -s to the title even if a name doesn't follow the title. The following examples clarify this point.

Listen to the German phrases and sentences and translate them into English.

• Doktor Wengers Tochter

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• die Tochter des Doktor Wenger

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• die Tochter des Doktors

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• Königin Viktorias Feldzug

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• der Feldzug der Königin Viktoria

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• der Feldzug der Königin

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• Maximilian der Große lebte im 7. Jahrhundert.

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• Der Sohn Maximilian des Großen war Roland der Fromme.

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• Sie kämpften mit Maximilian dem Großen.

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• Sie sprechen über Maximilian den Großen.

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