Explanation
The nominative case marks the subject of a sentence — the person or thing performing the action. It is the base form of nouns and the form used in dictionaries.
Rules
Nominative articles:
| Gender | Definite (the) | Indefinite (a) |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der | ein |
| Feminine | die | eine |
| Neuter | das | ein |
| Plural | die | — |
Use the nominative for:
- The subject of a verb: Der Hund bellt. (The dog barks.)
- After sein (to be): Er ist ein Lehrer. (He is a teacher.)
Examples
- Der Mann liest ein Buch. — The man reads a book.
- Eine Frau wartet hier. — A woman is waiting here.
- Das Kind schläft. — The child is sleeping.
- Wer ist der Mann? — Who is the man?
Related Vocabulary
Exceptions
Proper nouns and pronouns don’t change form in nominative (they’re already in base form).
Notes
This is the simplest case — no article changes from dictionary form. Compare with Accusative Case (direct object) and Dative Case (indirect object).
Resources
- How to use Nominativ Akkusativ & Dativ - Lets analyze a German text together — YourGermanTeacher · all three cases analyzed together in a real German text