Understanding the Accusative Case in German: A Guide for English Speakers
What is the Accusative Case?
In German, the accusative case is one of the four grammatical cases used to indicate the direct object of a verb. This means that the person or thing directly affected by the action is in the accusative case.
How to Recognize the Accusative Case
The accusative case is marked by specific changes in the article and, sometimes, the noun itself. In the singular, masculine nouns change their definite article 'der' to 'den' and the indefinite article 'ein' to 'einen'. Feminine, neuter, and plural forms remain the same.
Accusative Articles
den Mann
the man
einen Mann
a man
die Frau
the woman
eine Frau
a woman
das Kind
the child
ein Kind
a child
Accusative Case in Action
To understand the accusative case better, it's helpful to look at examples in sentences. The direct object (affected party) is highlighted.
Ich sehe den Mann.
I see the man.
Sie kauft ein Buch.
She is buying a book.
Further Reading
- The German Accusative Case
A comprehensive guide on the accusative case in German.
- Yabla German Lessons
Explore various German language resources and lessons.
- Accusative Case - Learn German
An overview and exercises on the accusative case by DW.