Accusative in German

The accusative case in German is used to show the direct object of a sentence. The direct object is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. It answers the questions “whom?” or “what?”

When to Use the Accusative Case

The accusative case is used in these situations:

1. To indicate the direct object of a sentence
2. After certain verbs that require the accusative case
3. After specific prepositions that always take the accusative case

Accusative Case with Direct Objects

The most common use of the accusative case is to show the direct object of a sentence.

Example:
Ich sehe den Hund.
Translation: “I see the dog.”
Explanation: Den Hund is the direct object receiving the action of seeing.

Example:
Sie kauft einen Apfel.
Translation: “She buys an apple.”
Explanation: Einen Apfel is the direct object being bought.

Verbs that Require the Accusative Case

Many verbs in German require the accusative case.

Common accusative verbs include:

• haben (to have)
• sehen (to see)
• brauchen (to need)
• finden (to find)
• kaufen (to buy)
• mögen (to like)
• lesen (to read)

Example:
Wir haben einen Hund.
Translation: “We have a dog.”

Example:
Er liest das Buch.
Translation: “He reads the book.”

Prepositions that Take the Accusative Case

Certain prepositions always require the accusative case.

Common accusative prepositions:

• durch (through)
• für (for)
• gegen (against)
• ohne (without)
• um (around, at)

Example:
Das Geschenk ist für den Mann.
Translation: “The gift is for the man.”

Example:
Wir laufen durch den Park.
Translation: “We walk through the park.”

Accusative Case Articles

Articles in the accusative case change depending on the gender and number of the noun.

Gender	Definite Article	Indefinite Article
Masculine	den	einen
Feminine	die	eine
Neuter	das	ein
Plural	die	– (no indefinite)

Example:
Ich sehe den Mann. – “I see the man.” (Masculine)
Sie mag die Frau. – “She likes the woman.” (Feminine)
Er hat das Kind. – “He has the child.” (Neuter)
Wir treffen die Freunde. – “We meet the friends.” (Plural)

Accusative Pronouns

Personal pronouns also change in the accusative case.

English	Nominative	Accusative
I	ich	mich
You	du	dich
He	er	ihn
She	sie	sie
It	es	es
We	wir	uns
You (plural)	ihr	euch
They	sie	sie
You (formal)	Sie	Sie

Example:
Kannst du mich sehen? – “Can you see me?”
Er ruft sie an. – “He calls her.”

Accusative with Two-Way Prepositions

Some prepositions (like in, auf, über) can take either the dative or accusative case. When they show movement or direction toward something, they take the accusative case.

Example:
Ich gehe in die Schule. – “I go into the school.” (in shows movement)
Er legt das Buch auf den Tisch. – “He puts the book on the table.” (auf shows direction)

If they show location (no movement), they take the dative case instead.

Common Phrases Using the Accusative Case

• Ohne dich kann ich nicht leben. – “I can’t live without you.”
• Wir warten auf den Bus. – “We wait for the bus.”
• Ich brauche einen Stift. – “I need a pen.”
• Sie laufen um den See. – “They walk around the lake.”

These examples help show how the accusative case is used to indicate direct objects, with certain verbs and prepositions in German.

Exercises

Here are exercises to practice the accusative case in German. The solutions are provided in a separate section after the exercises.

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Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank with the Correct Article

Fill in the blanks with the correct accusative article: den, die, das, einen, eine, or ein.

1. Ich sehe ___ Mann. (I see the man.)
2. Sie kauft ___ Apfel. (She buys an apple.)
3. Er isst ___ Brot. (He eats the bread.)
4. Wir treffen ___ Freunde. (We meet the friends.)
5. Du brauchst ___ Stift. (You need a pen.)

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Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Accusative Pronoun

Choose the correct accusative pronoun to complete the sentences.

1. Kannst du ___ sehen? (Can you see me?)
2. Er ruft ___ an. (He calls her.)
3. Sie hört ___ nicht. (She does not hear us.)
4. Wir laden ___ ein. (We invite you (plural).)
5. Ich finde ___ nett. (I find him nice.)

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Exercise 3: Identify the Direct Object

Identify the direct object in each sentence. Write the direct object word.

1. Der Junge trinkt einen Saft. (The boy drinks a juice.)
2. Wir kaufen die Blumen. (We buy the flowers.)
3. Sie liest ein Buch. (She reads a book.)
4. Ich nehme den Schlüssel. (I take the key.)
5. Er sieht die Katze. (He sees the cat.)

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Exercise 4: Translate into German (Using the Accusative Case)

Translate the following sentences into German.

1. I see the dog.
2. She buys a dress.
3. We meet the teacher.
4. He eats an apple.
5. They need a car.

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Solutions