FAM: The German Case System - Accusative Case

The German Case System - Accusative Case

Accusative Case: If a noun or pronoun is the direct object of a sentence or before specific accusative prepositions they are said to be in the accusative case. Endings will be added to them, in other words they will be declined, so the endings can reflect their function in the sentence.

The Accusative Case is very easy. All you need to remember for now is that the definite article der (all the masculine nouns) change to den. Therefore all indefinite articles and possessive pronouns preceding a masculine noun will have an -en ending added to them. 

fatherSon.pngLook at these examples again:

  • Der Vater grüßt den Sohn.
  • Den Sohn grüßt der Vater.
  • Heute grüßt der Vater den Sohn.
  • Der Sohn grüßt den Vater.
  • Den Vater grüßt der Sohn.
  • Heute grüßt der Sohn den Vater.

Independently from the word order, one can tell by the endings that in the first set of sentences Der Vater is the subject (Nominative Case), and den Sohn is the direct object (Accusative case).

The father is the "doer" since he is greeting the son.

In the second set of sentences der Sohn is in the Nominative Case (the subject) and den Vater is in the Accusative case (direct object).

The son is the "doer" since he is greeting the father.

Take a look at the following examples:

  • Das ist ein Hund.
    • linking verb "sein" - "ein Hund" is in the nominative case
  • Ich habe einen Hund.
    • habe+what=direct object - "einen Hund" is in the accusative case

You simply add an extra - en to indicate that ein Hund is the direct object of the sentence. This way you could start the sentence with einen Hund but people would still know is is the direct object, not the subject.

  • Einen Hund habe ich.
  • Jetzt habe ich einen Hund.

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