Table of Contents
What the Accusative Case Is Used For
In German, the accusative case tells us who or what receives the action of the verb. In simple terms, it usually marks the direct object of a sentence.
Compare:
Ich sehe den Mann.
I see the man.
Here, "ich" is the subject, and "den Mann" is the direct object. "Den Mann" is in the accusative case, because the man is the one being seen.
The accusative case is used mainly for the direct object of a verb (the person or thing directly affected by the action).
You will also meet the accusative after some prepositions, but that belongs to another chapter. Here we focus on direct objects.
Definite Articles in the Accusative
The most visible change in the accusative case is with masculine nouns. Feminine, neuter, and plural remain the same as in the nominative.
Table of definite articles:
| Gender / Number | Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der | den |
| Feminine | die | die |
| Neuter | das | das |
| Plural | die | die |
Only the masculine definite article changes in the accusative:
der → den
Examples:
Ich habe den Computer.
I have the computer.
Sie kennt den Lehrer.
She knows the teacher.
Ich suche die Lampe.
I am looking for the lamp.
Er kauft das Buch.
He buys the book.
Wir besuchen die Freunde.
We visit the friends.
In these sentences, the direct object is in the accusative. You only see a form change with masculine nouns using "den".
Indefinite Articles in the Accusative
Indefinite articles also change for masculine nouns in the accusative, and stay the same for feminine and neuter. Plural indefinite has no article, but you can use "keine" for "no".
Table of singular indefinite articles:
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ein | einen |
| Feminine | eine | eine |
| Neuter | ein | ein |
Masculine indefinite article in the accusative:
ein → einen
Examples:
Ich sehe einen Hund.
I see a dog.
Sie hat einen Bruder.
She has a brother.
Er kauft eine Lampe.
He buys a lamp.
Wir suchen ein Hotel.
We are looking for a hotel.
Remember, for feminine and neuter, the form does not change between nominative and accusative at this level.
Accusative with Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns also have accusative forms. You use them when the pronoun is the direct object.
Nominative vs accusative pronouns:
| Person | Nominative | Accusative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg | ich | mich | I / me |
| 2nd sg (du) | du | dich | you (sing.) |
| 3rd sg masc | er | ihn | he / him |
| 3rd sg fem | sie | sie | she / her |
| 3rd sg neuter | es | es | it |
| 1st pl | wir | uns | we / us |
| 2nd pl (ihr) | ihr | euch | you (pl.) |
| 3rd pl | sie | sie | they / them |
| Formal you | Sie | Sie | you (formal) |
Examples:
Er sieht mich.
He sees me.
Ich höre dich.
I hear you.
Wir kennen ihn.
We know him.
Sie besucht uns.
She visits us.
Ich mag euch.
I like you (plural).
Ich kenne sie.
I know her. / I know them. (Context shows the meaning.)
When a personal pronoun is the direct object, use the accusative form:
ich → mich, du → dich, er → ihn, wir → uns, ihr → euch.
Typical Verbs That Take a Direct Object
Many common verbs are usually followed by a direct object in the accusative. At A1 level it helps to become familiar with a few very frequent ones.
Some examples:
Ich habe ein Auto.
I have a car.
Sie braucht einen Stift.
She needs a pen.
Wir suchen die Schlüssel.
We are looking for the keys.
Er isst einen Apfel.
He is eating an apple.
Ich trinke einen Kaffee.
I am drinking a coffee.
Sie liest das Buch.
She is reading the book.
As soon as you can ask "what?" or "whom?" after the verb and get a clear answer, this answer is very likely in the accusative.
Word Order with Accusative Objects
In simple main clauses with one verb in the second position, the accusative object can come after the verb. At A1 level this is the most common pattern.
Subject + Verb + Accusative object:
Ich kaufe einen Tisch.
I am buying a table.
Du siehst den Film.
You see the movie.
Wir lernen die Wörter.
We learn the words.
You can also move the object earlier for emphasis, but the verb still stays in second place. This belongs more to word order chapters. Here you only need to recognize that the case of the object does not change when the word order changes.
Den Film sehe ich heute.
I am watching the film today.
The form "den Film" remains accusative.
Accusative in Fixed Everyday Phrases
Some very common everyday phrases contain accusative objects, even if you do not see a clear noun.
Examples:
Guten Morgen.
Good morning.
Guten Tag.
Good day / Hello.
Gute Nacht.
Good night.
Here "guten" and "gute" are accusative forms of adjectives, because in full they come from phrases like "Ich wünsche dir einen guten Morgen." This detail belongs to adjective chapters, but it is useful to know that greetings like "Guten Morgen" already use the accusative.
Contrast: Nominative or Accusative?
It is important not to confuse the subject in the nominative with the direct object in the accusative. A simple way is to ask:
Who or what does the action? → Nominative
Who or what is directly affected by the action? → Accusative
Compare:
Der Mann sieht den Hund.
The man sees the dog.
Subject: der Mann (who sees?) → nominative.
Object: den Hund (whom does he see?) → accusative.
Den Hund sieht der Mann.
The dog is seen by the man. (Literally: The dog sees the man? No, grammar tells us who is subject.)
Even if you move the words, the forms show which noun is subject and which is object. "Der Mann" (nominative), "den Hund" (accusative).
Do not decide subject and object only by word order in German.
The article form (der / den) shows the case and the function in the sentence.
New Vocabulary List
| German | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| der Mann / den Mann | the man | masculine, nominative / accusative |
| der Lehrer / den Lehrer | the teacher | masculine, nominative / accusative |
| der Hund / den Hund | the dog | masculine, nominative / accusative |
| der Computer / den Computer | the computer | masculine, nominative / accusative |
| der Film / den Film | the film, movie | masculine, nominative / accusative |
| die Lampe | the lamp | feminine |
| die Freunde | the friends | plural |
| das Buch | the book | neuter |
| ein Hund / einen Hund | a dog | masculine, nominative / accusative |
| ein Computer / einen Computer | a computer | masculine, nom. / acc. |
| ein Tisch / einen Tisch | a table | masculine, nom. / acc. |
| eine Lampe | a lamp | feminine |
| ein Hotel | a hotel | neuter |
| mich | me (accusative) | ich → mich |
| dich | you (sing., acc.) | du → dich |
| ihn | him (accusative) | er → ihn |
| sie | her / them (acc.) | sie → sie |
| es | it (accusative) | es → es |
| uns | us (accusative) | wir → uns |
| euch | you (pl., acc.) | ihr → euch |
| haben | to have | takes accusative object |
| sehen | to see | takes accusative object |
| kennen | to know (a person / thing) | accusative verb |
| suchen | to search / look for | takes accusative object |
| brauchen | to need | takes accusative object |
| essen | to eat | takes accusative object |
| trinken | to drink | takes accusative object |
| lesen | to read | takes accusative object |
| besuchen | to visit | takes accusative object |
| mögen | to like | takes accusative object |
| Guten Morgen | good morning | fixed phrase with accusative |
| Guten Tag | good day / hello | fixed phrase with accusative |
| Gute Nacht | good night | fixed phrase with accusative |