01
gehören
to belong to
To be in someone's possession; to be someone's property.
example
Wem gehört dieser Schirm?
Who does this umbrella belong to?
gehören
to belong
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 04
Usage tips
Dative construction
To express possession, the person something belongs to is always in the dative. The object that is owned is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Das Fahrrad gehört meinem Bruder.
The bicycle belongs to my brother.
Fixed preposition 'zu'
When 'gehören' (to belong) means to be part of a group or category, it is always used with the preposition 'zu' and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Thema gehört nicht zur Prüfung.
This topic is not part of the exam.
Use with places
To express that something belongs in a specific place, use 'gehören' (to belong) followed by a location phrase, usually with a preposition such as 'in', 'auf', or 'an'.
EXAMPLE
Die Bücher gehören zurück ins Regal.
The books belong back on the shelf.
Fixed expression 'sich gehören'
The expression 'es gehört sich' (it is proper) is an impersonal phrase used to talk about good manners or social rules. The 'es' is a fixed part of it.
EXAMPLE
Es gehört sich, „Danke“ zu sagen, wenn man ein Geschenk bekommt.
It is proper to say 'thank you' when you receive a gift.
Compare with
gehören vs haben
to have
'haben' and 'gehören' can both express possession. The difference is in the perspective. With 'haben', you say who owns something or has it with them: 'Ich habe ein Fahrrad.' (I have a bicycle.) With 'gehören', you say whom something belongs to: 'Das Fahrrad gehört mir.' (The bicycle belongs to me.) Learners often confuse the words because both describe the same situation of possession. A practical tip: with 'haben', the person is usually the subject; with 'gehören', the thing is usually the subject.
gehören
Der rote Rucksack gehört dem neuen Schüler.
The red backpack belongs to the new student.
haben
Meine Kollegin hat morgen einen Termin in der Stadt.
My colleague has an appointment in town tomorrow.
In real life
Loading video examples...