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German Phrase

Ich hab mir ein signiertes Exemplar des Buches gekauft.

/ɪç haːp miːɐ̯ aɪn ˈzɪɡniːrtəs ɛkˈzɛmpʰlaːɐ̯ dɛs ˈbʊxəs ɡəˈkaʊft/
Meaning"I bought myself a signed copy of the book."
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Meaning

The speaker says that they purchased a signed copy of a particular book for themselves. The sentence emphasizes the personal benefit (mir) and the special nature of the copy (signiertes Exemplar).

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to tell someone that you bought a signed edition of a book for your own collection, perhaps after a book signing event or when ordering online.

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchhabmireinsigniertesExemplardesBuchesgekauft

1

Verb contraction

"hab" is the colloquial contraction of "habe" (first‑person singular of "haben").

2

Reflexive dative

"mir" is a reflexive dative pronoun indicating that the action benefits the speaker.

3

Adjective declension

With the indefinite article "ein" the neuter accusative adjective takes the ending "-es": "signiertes".

4

Genitive attribute

"des Buches" is a genitive phrase that specifies which book the exemplar belongs to.

5

Past participle placement

In perfect tense the past participle "gekauft" goes to the end of the clause.

🗨In Conversation

A

Hast du das neue Buch von Anna Schmidt schon gelesen?

Have you read Anna Schmidt's new book yet?

Ja, ich hab mir ein signiertes Exemplar des Buches gekauft.

Yes, I bought myself a signed copy of the book.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich hab mir ein signiertes Exemplar von dem Buch gekauft.

    Use the genitive "des Buches" instead of the prepositional phrase "von dem Buch".

  • Ich hab mir ein signierter Exemplar des Buches gekauft.

    With the neuter accusative indefinite article the adjective ending must be "-es", not "-er".

  • Ich hab ein signiertes Exemplar des Buches gekauft.

    The reflexive pronoun must be dative; omitting it changes the meaning.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich habe mir ein signiertes Exemplar des Buches besorgt.

    I got myself a signed copy of the book.

  • Ich habe ein signiertes Exemplar des Buches erworben.

    I acquired a signed copy of the book.

  • Ich habe mir ein signiertes Buchexemplar gekauft.

    I bought a signed book copy for myself.

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Cultural Tip

Signed copies ("signierte Exemplare") are especially popular in German‑speaking literary circles and at book fairs. Mentioning "mir" signals that the purchase was a personal treat rather than a gift, which is a subtle way to show enthusiasm for the author or the work.