The demonstrative "dieser" refers to something near at hand. It corresponds to English "this", but as it is used in contexts where the difference between near and distant is not crucial, it often equates to English "that". When placed in front of a noun, it declines as follows:

Grammar 26: The declination of "dieser" (= this)   Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative dieser Mann diese Frau dieses Kind Accusative diesen Mann diese Frau dieses Kind Dative diesem Mann dieser Frau diesem Kind       Plural Nominative   diese Frauen Accusative   diese Frauen Dative   diesen Frauen

"Dieser" can also be used as a pronoun meaning "this one". It then of course takes the same endings as in the table above:

• Welches Kind arbeitet gut? - Dieses.
  (Which child works well? - This one.)
• Welchen Mann siehst du? - Diesen.
  (Which man do you see? - That one.)

You will have noticed that "dieser" takes the same endings as the definite article. It also takes the same adjective endings - the weak declension which we met in Chapter 5:

Grammar 27: Adjective endings after "dieser"   Masculine Feminine Neuter Nom. dieser gute Mann diese gute Frau dieses gute Kind Acc. diesen guten Mann diese gute Frau dieses gute Kind Dat. diesem guten Mann dieser guten Frau diesem guten Kind       Plural Nom.   diese guten Frauen Acc.   diese guten Frauen Dat.   diesen guten Frauen

The demonstrative "jener"
Although the pronoun "jener" means "that", it is really only used in certain formal registers or to contrast with "dieser", which should otherwise be used to translate "that":

• Ich will nicht dieses Armband kaufen, sondern jenes.
  (I don't want to buy this bracelet, but that one.)
• Willst du diese Brosche oder jene?
  (Do you want this brooch or that one?)

"Jener" adds the same endings as "dieser" and the definite article and adjectives following "jener" will be in the weak declension:

Grammar 28: The declination of "jener" (= that)   Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative jener Mann jene Frau jenes Kind Accusative jenen Mann jene Frau jenes Kind Dative jenem Mann jener Frau jenem Kind       Plural Nominative   jene Frauen Accusative   jene Frauen Dative   jenen Frauen

 Chapter 9.15: Vocabulary: The department store

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