German Accusative Case
The accusative case marks the direct object — the person or thing directly affected by the verb's action. Only masculine articles change: der becomes den, ein becomes einen.
The accusative case (Akkusativ) marks the direct object of a sentence — the person or thing that is directly affected by the action of the verb.
When to Use the Accusative
The accusative answers the question Wen oder was? (Whom or what?). It is used after most transitive verbs: Ich sehe den Hund. (I see the dog.) It is also required after certain prepositions: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang.
Article Changes
The good news: only masculine articles change in the accusative. Feminine, neuter, and plural articles stay the same as in the nominative. Masculine der becomes den, and ein becomes einen.
Accusative Pronouns
Personal pronouns change more significantly: ich → mich, du → dich, er → ihn, sie → sie, es → es, wir → uns, ihr → euch, sie → sie, Sie → Sie.
Accusative Prepositions
These prepositions always require the accusative: durch (through), für (for), gegen (against), ohne (without), um (around/at). A mnemonic: DOGFU (durch, ohne, gegen, für, um).
Two-Way Prepositions
Nine prepositions (an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen) take either accusative or dative. Use the accusative when there is movement toward a destination (Wohin?): Ich gehe in den Park. Use the dative for location (Wo?): Ich bin in dem Park.
Reference Tables
Accusative Article Changes
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der / ein | den / einen |
| Feminine | die / eine | die / eine |
| Neuter | das / ein | das / ein |
| Plural | die / — | die / — |
Accusative Personal Pronouns
| Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|
| ich | mich |
| du | dich |
| er | ihn |
| sie (she) | sie |
| es | es |
| wir | uns |
| ihr | euch |
| sie (they) | sie |
| Sie (formal) | Sie |
Example Sentences
Ich kaufe einen Tisch.
I buy a table.
'einen Tisch' — masculine accusative (ein → einen)
Sie liebt ihn.
She loves him.
'ihn' is the accusative pronoun for 'er'
Das Geschenk ist für dich.
The gift is for you.
'für' always requires accusative: dich
Er geht in den Park.
He goes into the park.
Two-way preposition 'in' + accusative (movement toward)
Common Mistakes
Ich sehe der Hund.
Ich sehe den Hund.
'Hund' is masculine and is the direct object (accusative). 'Der' must change to 'den'.
Das ist für er.
Das ist für ihn.
After a preposition taking accusative, use the accusative pronoun 'ihn', not the nominative 'er'.
Ich kaufe eine Tisch.
Ich kaufe einen Tisch.
'Tisch' is masculine, not feminine. The accusative masculine indefinite article is 'einen', not 'eine'.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the accusative case in German?
The accusative case marks the direct object — the person or thing directly affected by the verb. To find it, ask 'Wen oder was?' (Whom or what?). Only masculine articles change: der→den, ein→einen.
Which German prepositions take the accusative?
The prepositions durch (through), für (for), gegen (against), ohne (without), um (around), bis (until), and entlang (along) always take the accusative. Remember the mnemonic DOGFU.
What is the difference between accusative and dative with two-way prepositions?
Two-way prepositions (an, auf, in, etc.) use accusative for movement toward a destination (Wohin?) and dative for static location (Wo?). 'Ich gehe in den Park' (accusative, movement) vs. 'Ich bin in dem Park' (dative, location).
Related Grammar Topics
Related Words
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