CONTENT
"Dies-" and "jen-" are demonstrative pronouns in German. "Dies-" is similar to the English word "this" and is used to refer to something that is nearby or immediate.
"Jen-" is similar to the English word "that" and is used to refer to something that is more distant or removed.
Meanwhile, "derjenige" means "the one" and is used to refer to a specific person or thing that has been mentioned before or is clear from context.
"Derselbe" means "the same" and is used to refer to a specific person or thing that has been mentioned before.
German
English
Ich habe gestern einen Hund gekauft. Derselbe Hund ist jetzt bei mir zu Hause.
I bought a dog yesterday. The same dog is now at my home.
Demonstrative Pronouns: "dies-" and "jen-"
The demonstrative pronouns dieser/diese/dieses and jener/jene/jenes can be used as an article or as a subsitute for a noun. They are used to point to a specific thing and select it from a group.
- Dies- is used when a person or thing is closer in space or time to the speaker.
- Jen- is used when a person or thing is further away in space or time from the speaker.
They must be declined to reflect case, gender, and number. They follow the same patterns as the definite articles.
German
English
Diesen Sommer fahre ich nicht weg.
I'm not going on holidays this summer.
Dieses Buch ist interessant, jenes Buch ist langweilig.
This book is interesting, that book is boring.
Demonstrative pronouns: "derjenige," "derselbe"
The demonstrative pronoun derjenige refers to something that will be described in the subordinate clause that follows. It can be used as an article or as a subsitute for a noun.
The pronoun derjenige consists of two parts:
- der (declines like a definite article) + jenige (declines like an adjective).
/Diejenige, die mit mir Deutsch redet./ [The one (female) who speaks German with me.]
The demonstrative pronoun derselbe replaces the mention of a person/thing identical to a previously named person/thing. It either precedes a noun or replaces it.
The pronoun derselbe consists of two parts:
- der (declines like a definite article) + selbe (declines like an adjective).
German
English
Ist das Glas nicht dasselbe wie das von gestern?
Isn't the glass the same as yesterday's?
Quiz
1/3
Choose the correct demonstrative pronoun: Ich fahre ___ Auto, wie vor 10 Jahren.
0
correct answers.