Explanation
The accusative case marks the direct object of a sentence — the person or thing directly receiving the action. Only masculine articles change from nominative to accusative; feminine, neuter, and plural stay the same.
Rules
Accusative articles:
| Gender | Definite (the) | Indefinite (a) |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den | einen |
| Feminine | die | eine |
| Neuter | das | ein |
| Plural | die | — |
Only masculine changes: der → den, ein → einen
Common accusative prepositions (always trigger accusative): durch, für, gegen, ohne, um
Examples
- Ich sehe den Hund. — I see the dog. (masculine → den)
- Er kauft eine Katze. — He buys a cat. (feminine → eine, no change)
- Sie liest das Buch. — She reads the book. (neuter → das, no change)
- Ich lerne Deutsch für die Prüfung. — I’m learning German for the exam.
Related Vocabulary
- der Hund — Ich sehe den Hund. (direct object, masculine)
- Essen — Ich esse einen Apfel. (eating an apple — direct object)
Exceptions
Personal pronouns change in accusative:
- ich → mich, du → dich, er → ihn, sie → sie, es → es, wir → uns, ihr → euch
Notes
This is the most commonly needed case after nominative. See also Nominative Case and Dative Case. See Personal Pronouns for full pronoun table.
Resources
- How to use Nominativ Akkusativ & Dativ - Lets analyze a German text together — YourGermanTeacher · all three cases analyzed together in a real German text