Hans’s or Hans’?
The word Hans’ is a correct singular possessive form of the name Hans. For example, “Hans’ car is parked outside.” However, Hans’s is the more popular singular possessive of the name in American English. For instance, “Hans’s artwork is displayed in the gallery.”
Here is a helpful chart that shows the singular forms of the name Hans.
| Form | Example |
| Singular | Hans |
| Singular possessive | Hans’s / Hans’ |
The rules and trends concerning the extra “s” after the apostrophe for possessives vary depending on who you ask. Therefore, both Hans’ and Hans’s are common and acceptable singular possessive forms for the name Hans.
Here are some examples of the different forms in context.
Singular: Hans is attending the conference tomorrow.
Singular possessive: Hans’s bakery is famous for its pastries.
Singular possessive: Hans’ dog won first place in the competition.
In regular everyday writing, the choice of which form to use is yours. However, some people prefer to use the version without the “s” after the apostrophe when the following word is awkward.
For example, another word beginning with “s” or “h” after Hans can be a little difficult to pronounce. However, make sure you are consistent throughout your text by using the same version.
Perhaps you still have doubts about how to use the possessive form of Hans. If so, please keep reading the rest of the article so you can see how to use the possessive correctly in AP Style and the Chicago Manual of Style.
Hans’
The term Hans’ is a correct singular possessive form of the name Hans.
Moreover, according to Google Ngram, Hans’ is most popular in British English
Furthermore, in AP Style, you should use the version Hans’ because it is a proper noun that finishes in “s.”
- Hans’ presentation impressed the audience.
Also, sometimes people use the possessive version without the apostrophe when the following word sounds awkward with an extra “s.” This could, for example, be the case if the following word starts with “s.”
- Hans’ sister lives next door.
However, if you choose to use Hans’ on these occasions, you must use this version throughout the document.
Hans’s
The possessive form Hans’s is also a correct singular possessive form of the name Hans. Therefore, you use it to indicate that something belongs to a person named Hans.
Hans’s is the most common version of the possessive in American English, although the alternative is not far behind in terms of frequency.
Furthermore, the Chicago Manual of Style states that you should use Hans’s.
- Hans’s garden boasts a variety of exotic plants.
In other types of writing, people often omit the “s” when the following word begins with “s”.” Just be aware that if you do this once in a document, you must do it for the same type of words throughout the text.”
