German word

derselbe

Pronunciation

IPA/deːɐ̯ˈzɛlbə/

Meaning

  • pronounthe same

Example

Ich habe das rote Buch, und Maria hat dasselbe.

I have the red book, and Maria has the same book.

Illustration for derselbe (the same)

More examples

Es ist derselbe Wagen wie gestern.

It is the same car as yesterday.

Core concept

One person or thing stays at the center of reference while a later phrase points back to it as the original item.

Common phrases

  • derselbe Wagen

    the same car

  • derselbe Geschmack

    the same taste

Similar words

dasselbe: Refers again to the very same neuter object mentioned before.
dieselbe: Refers again to the very same feminine person or thing mentioned before.
der gleiche: Refers to another person or thing with the same kind or qualities.

Definition in German

derselbe bezeichnet genau dieselbe Person oder Sache wie zuvor genannt und richtet sich in Genus und Kasus nach dem Bezugswort.

Word origin

Derselbe developed from the combination of der and selbe, an older form related to the Germanic word for 'self', and originally expressed 'that self'.

Usage tips

  • As a pronoun, derselbe can stand without a following noun, and its ending still shows the gender, number, and case of the omitted noun.

Opposites

  • ein anderersomeone elsepronoun

Word lists with this word