Learn which case German verbs require for their complements. Practise verbs with nominative, dative, and accusative complements and the neutral order of dative and accusative objects.
Explanation
The verb determines the case
Almost every sentence has a **subject in the nominative**. The verb determines whether an additional complement in the nominative, dative, or accusative is required.
| Sentence pattern | Example | Typical verbs |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative subject | **Der Hund** schläft. | schlafen, lachen, regnen |
| Nominative + nominative | Lea wird **Ärztin**. | sein, werden, bleiben |
| Nominative + accusative | Wir besuchen **unsere Freunde**. | brauchen, kennen, lesen, sehen, besuchen |
| Nominative + dative | Der Mantel gehört **meinem Bruder**. | helfen, danken, gefallen, gehören, passen |
| Nominative + dative + accusative | Amir zeigt **der Kundin** **den Vertrag**. | geben, schicken, schenken, erklären, zeigen |
A complement after **sein, werden**, or **bleiben** is nominative: **Mara ist Ingenieurin.** It describes or identifies the subject; it is not an accusative object.
Verbs with the accusative
The accusative often marks the person or thing directly affected by the action:
- Ich brauche **einen Termin**.
- Wir hören **die Nachricht**.
- Sie besucht **ihren Onkel**.
Do not confuse **hören + accusative** (*Ich höre den Podcast.*) with **jemandem zuhören + dative** (*Ich höre dem Lehrer zu.*).
Ask: **Wen oder was?** (Whom or what?)
Verbs with the dative
Some verbs always require a dative complement. It often refers to a person:
- Ich helfe **meiner Nachbarin**.
- Die Suppe schmeckt **dem Kind**.
- Wir danken **unserem Lehrer**.
Ask: **Wem?** (To whom?) Learn the case together with the verb: **jemandem helfen**, **jemandem danken**.
Dative and accusative together
Verbs such as **geben, zeigen, schicken, schenken, erklären**, and **leihen** can take two complements. The dative often identifies the recipient and the accusative the thing:
- Nora leiht **ihrem Freund** **das Fahrrad**.
- Der Trainer erklärt **den Kindern** **die Regel**.
Order of complements
1. If both complements are nouns, the neutral order is usually **dative before accusative**:
**Ich gebe dem Mann das Formular.**
2. If only one complement is a pronoun, the pronoun comes before the noun:
**Ich gebe ihm das Formular.** / **Ich gebe es dem Mann.**
3. If both are pronouns, the **accusative comes before the dative**:
**Ich gebe es ihm.**
Other orders are possible for emphasis. This lesson practises the neutral standard order.