by Olly Richards
If you're learning German and enjoy homonyms, you'll love the German word ihr! Homonyms are spelled and pronounced identically but have different meanings.
In German, the word ihr could be anything from a possessive pronoun to a way of addressing a crowd of people. With four various meanings to choose from, how can you figure out what is being said?
Fortunately, deciphering the meaning of ihr isn't as challenging as it is initially intimidating. Usually, you can figure out what someone means through the context.
In this post, I'll explain all of the meanings of the word ihr and give you the clear guidelines you need to identify the correct definition.
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Table of Contents
How To Pick The Right Declension Of German Ihr
Although German ihr can have many different meanings, the declension is always the same! Below is a reference table you can use to find the right ending.
| Ihr | Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Plural |
| Nominative | Ihr | Ihr | Ihre | Ihre |
| Accusative | Ihren | Ihr | Ihre | Ihre |
| Dative | Ihrem | Ihrem | Ihrer | Ihren |
| Possessive | Ihres | Ihres | Ihrer | Ihrer |
Note how the masculine and neuter forms have the same endings, except in the accusative case. The feminine and plural endings are also the same, except for the dative case. Recognizing these similarities can make the forms much easier and faster to remember.
1. Ihr As In “Your” (Possessive, Formal)
Let's start with the simplest form to identify, Ihr in the second-person possessive formal.
You can recognise the meaning of this Ihr in written form immediately because it begins with a capital “I.”
When you see Ihr with a capital “I,” it's a possessive pronoun, or “your” formal. In this case, Ihr can either be singular or plural, depending on the context.
Du and dein (you and your) are common ways to address someone informally. Friends, family, acquaintances, and people of the same age often use du.
When you want to address someone formally, use Sie and Ihr (your and your). This form is appropriate to use with your boss, store employees, and anyone much older than you.
- Example: Ihr Paket ist angekommen. (Your package arrived.)
- Example: Ihr Kalender ist voll. (Your calendar is full.)
You'll need to assign the correct ending to Ihr according to the following noun's gender, case, and number.
- Example: Ich habe Ihre Dokumente. (I have your documents.)
- Example: Sie hat Ihre Aufmerksamkeit. (She has your attention.)
Here, the feminine nouns Dokumente and Aufmerksamkeit call for an -e ending for the possessive formal pronoun Ihr.
- Example: Geben Sie mir Ihren Schlüssel. (Give me your key.)
Remember to capitalize the “I,” or you'll change your sentence's meaning entirely!
Let's look at all the forms of “you” formal for a better overview of when to use Ihr.
| Sie (you formal) | Sie/Ihnen/Ihr |
| Nominative | Sie |
| Accusative | Sie |
| Dative | Ihnen |
| Genitive | Ihrer |
| Possessive Pronoun | Ihr- |
Notice how Ihr is only for possessive pronouns. In the nominative, accusative, and dative cases, you use Sie or Ihnen.
2. Ihr As In “Their” (Possessive, Plural)
The second easiest form of German ihr to identify is the third-person plural possessive pronoun meaning “their.”
When you talk about a group of people in the possessive, use ihr with a lower-case “i.” This use of ihr is a plural form that allows you to speak about multiple individuals.
You can figure out if “your” or “their” is meant by the capitalization in written German. But, in spoken German, you'll have to rely on the context of the conversation. Let's look at some examples of ihr that mean “their.”
- Example: Ihr Hotel ist in der Nähe. (Their hotel is close.)
In the singular nominative case, we don't need an ending for ihr before a neuter noun. Note that this sentence could also mean “Your hotel is close.” The only way to differentiate is by understanding who is being spoken to.
- Example: Ich habe ihre Tickets. (I have their tickets.)
Here, tickets are plural and in the accusative case, so it has an -e ending.
- Example: Wir können ihren Rucksack nicht finden. (We can't find their backpack.)
Here, Rucksack is singular, masculine, and in the accusative case, giving it an -en ending.
Let's have a look at the other forms of “they.”
| sie (they) | sie/ihnen/ihr |
| Nominative | sie |
| Accusative | sie |
| Dative | ihnen |
| Genitive | ihrer |
| Possessive Pronoun | ihr- |
Again, note that the only instance when you use ihr is for the possessive pronoun form of the word “they.” The only difference between “they” and “you” formal is the first letter's capitalization.
3. Ihr As In “Her” (Dative Or Possessive)
Next, German ihr can also mean “her” in the third-person possessive or dative singular. You can think of sie as “she” and ihr as “her.”
But these forms are used differently in German than in English. When you use “her” as the indirect object in a sentence, you'll need the dative form of sie, which is ihr.
- Example: Ich gab ihr ein frühes Geburtstagsgeschenk. (I gave her an early birthday present.)
Here, ich is the nominative subject, Geburtstagsgeschenk is the accusative direct object, and ihr is the dative indirect object.
Also, use ihr if you want to indicate that something belongs to “her.” Remember to add the appropriate ending according to the case, gender, and the number of the proceeding noun.
- Example: Ihr Lied war inspirierend. (Her song was inspirational.)
- Example: Ich trage ihre Jacke. (I'm wearing her jacket.)
Additionally, certain prepositions always require a dative pronoun, such as mit (with), aus (from), bei (at), außer (except), nach (after), seit (since), von (from), and zu (to).
- Example: Wir arbeiten mit ihrem Mann. (We work with her husband.)
- Example: Er ging zu ihrer Wohnung. (He went to her appartment.)
- Example: Sie lebt bei ihren Großeltern. (She lives at her grandparents.)
When To Use Sie Or Ihr To Mean She And Her
The table below can help you remember the different ways to say “she” and “her” in German.
| ihr (her) | sie/ihr |
| Nominative (she) | sie |
| Accusative (she) | sie |
| Dative (her) | ihr |
| Possessive (her) | ihr |
Let's look at a few examples in each case for a better understanding of this third-person singular pronoun.
- Nominative: Sie kommt aus Berlin. (She comes from Berlin.)
- Accusative: Wir kennen sie gut. (We know her well.)
- Dative: Er hat ihr einen Stift gegeben. (He gave her a pen.)
- Possessive: Ihr Stift ist leer. (Her pen is empty.)
Take note of the accusative example and how it uses a different form of “her” than you might expect. As a native English speaker, you may feel more inclined to use ihr in the accusative, but this would be wrong. German ihr only means “her” in the dative and possessive cases. In the nominative and accusative cases, use sie.
4. Ihr As In “You Guys” (Informal)
Finally, ihr can also be the informal second-person plural form that means “you guys.” Remember that there are different ways to say “you,” depending on the formality of the situation in German.
When you talk to a group of friends, children, family members, or people you're close to, ihr is one of the informal pronouns you use. If you don't know someone on a personal level, Sie is usually more appropriate.
Besides choosing between formal and informal, you also need to distinguish between plural and singular in German. Sie, the formal pronoun for “you,” is the same in the singular and plural forms. The informal singular form of “you” is du, and the plural form is ihr.
- Example: Habt ihr den neuen Film gesehen? (Did you guys see the new movie?)
- Example: Ihr habt das Beste verpasst. (You guys missed the best part.)
- Example Ihr seid zu spät. (You guys are late.)
In the examples above, ihr is the subject of the sentences and therefore takes the nominative case. But, in the accusative, dative, and possessive cases, ihr becomes euch.
| ihr (you guys) | ihr/euch |
| Nominative | ihr |
| Accusative | euch |
| Dative | euch |
| Possessive | euch |
- Nominative: Ihr seid nett. (You guys are nice.)
- Accusative: Er hat euch angerufen. (He called you guys.)
- Dative: Hat sie euch die Schlüssel gegeben? (Did she give you guys the keys?)
- Possessive: Die Bücher gehören euch. (The books belong to you guys.)
As you can see, ihr only means “you guys” in the nominative case when addressing a group of people informally. In every other case, use euch to say “you guys.”
FAQs About German Ihr
How does ‘ihr' work?
The German word ihr is a versatile homonym, meaning it can take on multiple meanings depending on context.
It can function as a possessive pronoun, a personal pronoun, or a way to address a group informally.
The key to understanding which meaning is intended lies in the sentence's context and grammar.
When to use “ihr” instead of sie?
Use ihr instead of sie when you are:
1. Indicating possession for “her” (e.g., Ihr Lied – Her song).
2. Addressing a group informally as “you all” (e.g., Ihr seid nett – You all are nice).
3. Using the dative form to refer to “her” (e.g., Ich gab ihr das Buch – I gave her the book).
In contrast, sie is used in the nominative or accusative cases to mean “she” or “her” respectively (e.g., Sie kommt – “She comes” or Wir kennen sie – “We know her”).
Is it true that “ihr” (the pronoun) is obsolete now?
No, the pronoun ihr is far from obsolete. It is actively used in modern German and has multiple functions depending on the context, as explained above. Its usage is crucial for both formal and informal communication, and it remains an essential part of German grammar.
When to use ihr?
ihr has several uses in German, and understanding when to use it depends on the context, formality, and the grammatical structures.
Here’s a detailed breakdown:
1. Formal Possessive (Ihr meaning “your”)
When addressing someone formally, Ihr with a capital “I” is used as a possessive pronoun. This form can be singular or plural, depending on whether you're speaking to one person or a group.
It is particularly common in formal situations, such as addressing a superior, an elder, or someone you do not know well.
For example:
Ihr Auto ist bereit. (Your car is ready.)
Haben Sie Ihre Rechnung erhalten? (Did you receive your bill?)
The endings of Ihr will change based on the gender, case, and number of the noun it modifies, so it's important to be familiar with these variations.
2. Plural Possessive (ihr meaning “their”)
Use ihr with a lowercase “i” to indicate possession by a group of people. This is the third-person plural possessive pronoun and is used when talking about something that belongs to multiple people.
For instance:
Ich habe ihre Bücher gefunden. (I found their books.)
Ihr Haus ist sehr schön. (Their house is very beautiful.)
The context of the conversation is crucial here, especially in spoken German, since ihr could also mean “your” in formal situations. However, in written German, capitalization helps distinguish the two meanings, unless ihr comes at the beginning of the sentence.
3. Dative and Possessive (ihr meaning “her”)
The word ihr is also the third-person singular possessive pronoun “her” or the dative pronoun when referring to “her.” Use this form when you want to show possession or when “her” is the indirect object.
Examples include:
Ihr Name ist Anna. (Her name is Anna.) (possessive)
Ich habe ihr das Buch gegeben. (I gave her the book.) (dative)
Some prepositions in German always require the dative case, such as mit (with), bei (at), and zu (to). In these instances, ihr is used to refer to “her” in the dative case:
Er ging mit ihrem Bruder ins Kino. (He went to the cinema with her brother.)
Sie sprach über ihre Ideen. (She talked about her ideas.)
4. Informal Plural (ihr meaning “you all”)
In informal settings, ihr is used as the second-person plural pronoun to address a group of people, like the English “you all.” This usage is common when speaking to friends, family, or anyone with whom you share a close relationship.
Here are some examples:
Ihr habt das Spiel gewonnen! (You won the game!)
Habt ihr schon gegessen? (Have you eaten yet?)
When ihr is the subject of the sentence, it stays in the nominative case. However, in other grammatical cases (accusative, dative, or possessive), it changes to euch.
For instance:
Ich habe euch gesehen. (I saw you guys.) (accusative)
Ich gebe euch das Buch. (I’m giving you guys the book.) (dative)
Ist das euer Auto? (Is that your car?) (possessive)
What does ihr mean?
Here’s a recap of the various meanings of the German word “Ihr”:
1. Your (formal possessive, with a capital “I”)
2. Their (plural possessive)
3. Her (possessive or dative case)
4. You all (informal plural)
The meaning of “ihr” changes based on capitalization, context, and grammatical case, making it a flexible but context-dependent word in German.
Final Thoughts On German Ihr
Now, you know how to use German ihr to say “you,” “their,” “her,” and “you guys” in German! Learning the cases, genders, and pronouns will help you master the meanings of ihr and determine who is speaking to whom.
Although the patterns might take some getting used to, you'll catch on quickly by following the rules of StoryLearning and reading in German, preferably by reading and listening to short stories in German.
Knowing how to use ihr in all of its forms is a simple way to boost your fluency. As you become more familiar with the German language, remember to keep having fun, and your comprehension will continue to grow. You'll find that German grammar gets easier the more you enjoy it.
