The Four German Cases
Compare the nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. Learn article forms, identify noun-phrase functions, and choose the case required by a verb or preposition.
Explanation
The four cases
**Case** shows the role of a noun phrase in a sentence. It is usually visible in the article and sometimes in a noun ending.
| Case | German question | Typical function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | wer? was? | subject | **Der Nachbar** wartet. |
| Accusative | wen? was? | direct object | Ich sehe **den Nachbarn**. |
| Dative | wem? | recipient or affected person | Ich helfe **dem Nachbarn**. |
| Genitive | wessen? | possession or relation | Das ist das Fahrrad **des Nachbarn**. |
Definite article
| Case | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
| Dative | dem | der | dem | den |
| Genitive | des | der | des | der |
In the accusative, only the masculine definite article changes: **der -> den**. The dative pattern is **dem, der, dem, den**. The genitive pattern is **des, der, des, der**.
Noun endings
Masculine and neuter singular nouns usually take **-(e)s** in the genitive: **des Plans**, **des Hauses**. Short monosyllabic nouns often use **-es**; many other nouns use **-s**.
Dative plural nouns usually add **-n**: **mit den Kindern**, **bei den Gästen**. No extra ending is added if the plural already ends in **-n** or **-s**: **mit den Frauen**, **mit den Autos**.
What determines the case?
- The subject is nominative.
- Many verbs govern a case: **jemanden besuchen** (accusative), **jemandem helfen** (dative).
- Prepositions govern a case: **mit** + dative, **ohne** + accusative.
- Learn fixed combinations as verb + preposition + case: **auf jemanden warten**, **mit jemandem sprechen**.
- The genitive can express possession: **die Tür des Büros**. With names, the possessor often comes first: **Marias Schlüssel**.
First identify the verb or preposition, then check the noun's gender and number.
Exercises
- Identify the case of the highlighted noun phrase. (11)
- Insert the noun phrase in the correct form. Write the article and noun. (11)
- Find the incorrect case form and choose the correct replacement. (11)
- Use the cue to write a complete sentence with the correct case form. (11)
A2 · German · Grammar