German Phrase
Zeig uns dein Haustier.
Meaning
A friendly request asking someone to show you their pet. It’s an informal command directed at a single person (du).
When to use
Use this phrase in casual settings—when you’re at a friend’s house, in a park, or chatting online and you want to see the animal they keep. It’s not appropriate in formal contexts; there you’d say ‘Zeigen Sie uns Ihr Haustier.’
✦Grammar Breakdown
ZeigunsdeinHaustier
Imperative (du)
‘Zeig’ is the du‑imperative of the verb ‘zeigen’. The -e ending is dropped in colloquial speech.
Dative pronoun ‘uns’
‘uns’ is the dative form of ‘wir’ and functions as the indirect object: ‘show us…’.
Possessive adjective ‘dein’
‘dein’ agrees with the gender of the noun. ‘Haustier’ is neuter, so the correct form is ‘dein’, not ‘deine’.
Neuter noun ‘Haustier’
‘Haustier’ (pet) is a neuter noun; its article in the nominative is ‘das’.
🗨In Conversation
Zeig uns dein Haustier.
Show us your pet.
Klar, das ist mein Hund, Bello.
Sure, this is my dog, Bello.
✕Common Mistakes
Zeig uns deine Haustier.
‘Haustier’ is neuter, so the correct possessive is ‘dein’, not ‘deine’.
Zeige uns dein Haustier.
While ‘Zeige’ is grammatically correct, native speakers usually drop the -e in the du‑imperative: ‘Zeig uns…’. Using ‘Zeige’ can sound overly formal or stiff.
↔Alternatives
Lass uns dein Haustier sehen.
Let us see your pet.
Kannst du uns dein Haustier zeigen?
Can you show us your pet?
Zeig uns dein Tier.
Show us your animal.
Cultural Tip
In German the imperative changes with the level of formality. ‘Zeig’ is used with friends or peers (du). In a formal or plural setting you would use ‘Zeigen Sie uns Ihr Haustier.’ Also, remember that ‘Haustier’ is neuter, so the possessive adjective stays ‘dein’ (not ‘deine’).