German Phrase
Ja, das ist die Hochzeit meines Cousins.
Meaning
This phrase is a direct confirmation, stating that a particular event is the wedding of the speaker's male cousin. It uses the genitive case to indicate possession, clearly linking the wedding to the cousin. It's a straightforward declarative sentence used to identify an event.
When to use
You would typically use this phrase as a direct answer to a question about the nature of an event, especially if someone asks 'What is this celebration?' or 'Whose wedding is this?'. It's suitable for informal and semi-formal contexts when identifying a family event.
✦Grammar Breakdown
JadasistdieHochzeitmeinesCousins
Ja
'Ja' is the German word for 'yes', used for affirmation or agreement. It's a simple and common interjection.
das ist
'Das ist' means 'that is' or 'it is'. It's a fundamental way to identify or describe something in German, similar to 'this is' or 'that's'.
die Hochzeit
'Hochzeit' means 'wedding' and is a feminine noun, hence it takes the definite article 'die' in the nominative case. Always learn nouns with their gender.
meines Cousins
This is an example of the genitive case, indicating possession. 'Cousin' is a masculine noun, and in the genitive case, it takes the '-s' ending ('Cousins'), and the possessive pronoun 'mein' changes to 'meines' for masculine nouns.
🗨In Conversation
Was ist das für eine Feier?
What kind of celebration is this?
Ja, das ist die Hochzeit meines Cousins.
Yes, that is my cousin's wedding.
✕Common Mistakes
Ja, das ist die Hochzeit mein Cousin.
The genitive case is required here to show possession. 'Mein Cousin' is nominative.
Ja, das ist die Hochzeit von mein Cousin.
While 'von' + dative is common in spoken German for possession, the genitive 'meines Cousins' is grammatically more precise and often preferred in written or slightly more formal contexts. Also, 'mein' should be 'meinem' in dative.
Ja, das ist die Hochzeit meiner Cousin.
'Cousin' is masculine, so the genitive possessive pronoun should be 'meines', not 'meiner' (which would be for feminine nouns).
↔Alternatives
Ja, das ist die Hochzeit von meinem Cousin.
Yes, that is the wedding of my cousin.
Es ist die Hochzeit meines Cousins.
It is my cousin's wedding.
Das ist die Feier meines Cousins.
That is my cousin's celebration.
Cultural Tip
German weddings, or 'Hochzeiten', can range from intimate civil ceremonies to large, multi-day celebrations with traditional customs. The term 'Cousin' specifically refers to a male cousin; for a female cousin, you would say 'Cousine'. Family ties are generally important in Germany, and attending family weddings is a significant social event.