German cases
German marks a noun’s job in the sentence with its case. The article changes (der → den → dem → des) so that you can tell who did what to whom, even when the word order moves around. There are four cases, and most of the work is done by the first three.
What each case does
| Case | Job | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | subject | Wer? Was? | Der Hund schläft. |
| Accusative | direct object | Wen? Was? | Ich sehe den Hund. |
| Dative | indirect object, receiver | Wem? | Ich gebe dem Hund Wasser. |
| Genitive | possession | Wessen? | Der Ball des Hundes. |
Build it: watch the article change
Ich sehe den Mann.
Accusative: Direct object (whom do I see?). Question word: Wen? Was? A dark tile means the article has changed from its dictionary form.
Article tables
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
| Dative | dem | der | dem | den (+n) |
| Genitive | des (+s) | der | des (+s) | der |
Only the masculine changes between nominative and accusative (der → den, ein → einen). That one change is behind most beginner mistakes. Possessives (mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser…) follow the kein pattern.
Personal pronouns
| ich | du | er | sie | es | wir | ihr | sie/Sie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | ich | du | er | sie | es | wir | ihr | sie/Sie |
| Akk. | mich | dich | ihn | sie | es | uns | euch | sie/Sie |
| Dat. | mir | dir | ihm | ihr | ihm | uns | euch | ihnen/Ihnen |
Prepositions by case
- Always accusative: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang (entlang usually after the noun)
- Always dative: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber
- Two-way (accusative = where to, dative = where): an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen
- Genitive (formal): wegen, trotz, während, statt, innerhalb, außerhalb
Ich gehe in die Küche (accusative: movement into) vs Ich bin in der Küche (dative: location).
Verbs that take the dative
helfen, danken, gefallen, gehören, antworten, folgen, glauben, gratulieren, passen, schmecken: Das Essen schmeckt mir. Kann ich Ihnen helfen?
Frequently asked questions
How many cases are there in German?
Four: nominative (the subject), accusative (the direct object), dative (the indirect object, the receiver) and genitive (possession). Each changes the form of articles, adjectives and pronouns.
How do I know which case to use?
Ask what job the noun does in the sentence. The subject is nominative; the thing directly affected by the verb is accusative; the person receiving or benefiting is dative. After that, prepositions and some verbs fix the case: mit always takes dative, für always takes accusative.
What are two-way prepositions?
Nine prepositions (an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen) take accusative for movement towards a place (Wohin? Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch) and dative for location (Wo? Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch).
Is the genitive still used?
Yes, in writing and in set phrases (das Auto meines Vaters, wegen des Wetters). In casual speech, many speakers replace it with von + dative (das Auto von meinem Vater) and use dative after wegen.
Which German verbs take the dative?
A small group of common verbs take a dative object instead of an accusative one: helfen, danken, gefallen, gehören, antworten, folgen, glauben (a person), gratulieren, passen and schmecken. Ich helfe dir, not dich.