The Four German Cases
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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