derselbe
German edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Univerbation of der + selbe.
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /deːɐ̯ˈzɛlbə/ (official standard)
- IPA(key): /dɛɐ̯ˈzɛlbə/ (normal)
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: der‧sel‧be
Pronoun edit
derselbe (demonstrative)
Determiner edit
derselbe
Usage notes edit
- When preceded by a preposition that contracts with the definite article, the form selbe or selben can be written apart: zu derselben Zeit or zur selben Zeit (“at the same time”).
- derselbe should be used only when one refers to physically the same object, whereas der gleiche should be used when referring to an object of the same kind or a duplicate. For example:
- Ich habe früher dasselbe Auto gefahren. ― I used to drive this very same car.
- Ich habe früher das gleiche Auto gefahren. ― I used to drive the same kind of car.
- However, this distinction is sometimes even missed by native speakers in standard usage, let alone colloquial German.
Declension edit
| Declension of derselbe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | plural | |
| nominative | derselbe | dieselbe | dasselbe | dieselben |
| genitive | desselben | derselben | desselben | derselben |
| dative | demselben | derselben | demselben | denselben |
| accusative | denselben | dieselbe | dasselbe | dieselben |