We're excited to announce that Nina Freebird of Vocal Creations Berlin has just published "The Genitive Goes to Court", a new Advanced level German language lesson, on Language Mentor! 

Lesson Script

The Genitive Goes to Court
Der Genitiv geht vor Gericht

Introduction
The genitive case is typically used with possessive pronouns. It is mainly used in written German, and also in formal situations such as the courtroom or political speeches. In spoken German the genitive case is mostly replaced by the word "von" plus the dative case. For example, to say "my father's brother" in written German you would write : "der Bruder meines Vaters" which uses the genitive case. However, in spoken German you would often hear "der Bruder von meinem Vater" which uses the dative case.

Vocabulary
Vocabulary

The court
Das Gericht

To fight for someone's rights
Um sein Recht kämpfen

To accuse somebody
Jemanden anklagen

To blame somebody
Jemanden beschuldigen

The possibility
Die Möglichkeit

To congratulate oneself
Sich rühmen

To replace somebody or something
Jemanden oder etwas ersetzen

The witness
Der Zeuge

The trial
Die Verhandlung

The opinion
Die Meinung

To abstain
Sich enthalten

The voice or the vote
Die Stimme

To be guilty
Schuldig sein

The theft
Der Diebstahl

To give or to allow something or somebody
Etwas oder jemanden lassen

The victory
Der Sieg

To shake hands
Sich die Hände schütteln

To promise something to somebody
Jemandem etwas versprechen

The Genitive Goes to Court
Der Genitiv geht vor Gericht

Today the genitive fights for his rights in front of court.
Heute kämpft der Genitiv vor Gericht um sein Recht.

He accuses the dative of theft.
Er klagt den Dativ des Diebstahls an.

The dative is being blamed for robbing the genitive of his existence.
Der Dativ wird beschuldigt, den Genitiv seiner Existenz zu berauben.

The dative congratulates himself about the possibility,
Der Dativ rühmt sich der Möglichkeit,

that he can replace the genitive in all sentences.
dass er den Genitiv in allen Sätzen ersetzen kann.

Due to an honest witness the case comes to court.
Aufgrund eines ehrlichen Zeugen kommt der Fall vor Gericht.

During the trial the jury is being asked about their opinion.
Während der Verhandlung wird die Jury nach ihrer Meinung gefragt.

One jury member abstains from his vote.
Ein Jurymitglied enthält sich seiner Stimme.

All the others find the dative guilty of theft.
Alle anderen befinden den Dativ des Diebstahls für schuldig.

The dative is ashamed of his arrogance.
Der Dativ schämt sich seiner Arroganz.

The genitive enjoys his victory.
Der Genitiv freut sich seines Sieges.

Outside the court they both shake hands.
Außerhalb des Gerichts schütteln sich die beiden die Hände.

The dative promises the genitive...
Der Dativ verspricht dem Genitiv...

to give him room in the world of sentences.

ihm Raum in der Welt der Sätze zu lassen. 


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