German Cases: A Simple and Complete Guide to Nominative, Accusative, and Dative for Beginners
German cases might sound tricky, but they’re just a way to show what a noun (like "dog" or "book") is doing in a sentence. This guide focuses on the three main cases you’ll use most as a beginner: Nominative, Accusative, and Dative. We’ll skip extras like adjectives and keep it super simple, with tons of examples and explanations. By the end, you’ll understand these cases completely—let’s go!
What Are Cases?
Cases tell you the job of a noun in a sentence. In English, we use word order (like "The dog bites the man" vs. "The man bites the dog"). In German, cases do this work by changing the words like "the" or "a" (called articles) before a noun. German has four cases, but we’ll focus on the big three:
- Nominative: The "doer" of the action (the subject).
- Accusative: The "receiver" of the action (the direct object).
- Dative: The "to whom" or "for whom" something is done (the indirect object).
We’ll use easy words like Hund (dog), Katze (cat), Mann (man), Frau (woman), and Kind (child) to show how they work.
1. Nominative Case
What It’s For
The nominative case is for the subject—the person or thing doing the action. It’s the simplest case because it’s how you first learn nouns (like der Hund in the dictionary).
How to Spot It
Ask: "Who or what is doing something?" The answer is in the nominative case.
Articles in Nominative
- Masculine: der (the), ein (a)
- Feminine: die, eine
- Neuter: das, ein
- Plural: die (no "a" for plurals, use keine for "no")
Examples
- Der Hund bellt laut. (The dog barks loudly.)
- Die Katze springt hoch. (The cat jumps high.)
- Das Kind lacht. (The child laughs.)
- Die Männer arbeiten. (The men work.)
- Ein Junge spielt. (A boy plays.)
More examples:
- Der Lehrer spricht. (The teacher speaks.)
- Die Freundin ruft an. (The friend calls.)
- Das Auto fährt schnell. (The car drives fast.)
- Die Kinder singen. (The children sing.)
Why It’s Easy
Nominative is the starting point. It’s the form you see when you learn a new noun, like der Tisch (the table) or die Lampe (the lamp). Every sentence needs a subject, so you’ll use nominative all the time!
2. Accusative Case
What It’s For
The accusative case is for the direct object—the person or thing that gets the action. It answers "Whom or what is the subject acting on?"
How to Spot It
Ask: "Whom or what is being affected?" The answer is in the accusative case.
Articles in Accusative
- Masculine: den, einen
- Feminine: die, eine
- Neuter: das, ein
- Plural: die (same as nominative)
Examples
- Ich sehe den Hund. (I see the dog.)
- Er liebt die Katze. (He loves the cat.)
- Sie kauft das Buch. (She buys the book.)
- Wir treffen die Freunde. (We meet the friends.)
- Er hat einen Apfel. (He has an apple.)
More examples:
- Ich höre den Mann. (I hear the man.)
- Sie liest die Zeitung. (She reads the newspaper.)
- Er öffnet das Fenster. (He opens the window.)
- Wir essen die Pizza. (We eat the pizza.)
Accusative Prepositions
Some words (called prepositions) always use accusative:
- durch (through): Ich gehe durch den Wald. (I walk through the forest.)
- für (for): Das ist für den Jungen. (This is for the boy.)
- gegen (against): Er läuft gegen die Wand. (He runs against the wall.)
- ohne (without): Ich gehe ohne den Schirm. (I go without the umbrella.)
- um (around): Wir fahren um den See. (We drive around the lake.)
3. Dative Case
What It’s For
The dative case is for the indirect object—the person or thing that gets the direct object. It answers "To whom?" or "For whom?" something is done.
How to Spot It
Ask: "To whom or for whom is this happening?" The answer is in the dative case.
Articles in Dative
- Masculine: dem, einem
- Feminine: der, einer
- Neuter: dem, einem
- Plural: den (add -n to plural nouns if they don’t end in -n or -s)
Examples
- Ich gebe dem Hund einen Knochen. (I give the dog a bone.)
- Sie hilft der Frau. (She helps the woman.)
- Er schenkt dem Kind ein Spielzeug. (He gives the child a toy.)
- Wir schreiben den Freunden. (We write to the friends.)
- Ich zeige einem Mann den Weg. (I show a man the way.)
More examples:
- Er spricht dem Lehrer. (He speaks to the teacher.)
- Ich danke der Schwester. (I thank the sister.)
- Sie gibt dem Baby Milch. (She gives the baby milk.)
Dative Prepositions
These prepositions always use dative:
- aus (from): Ich komme aus dem Haus. (I come from the house.)
- bei (at/with): Ich bin bei dem Arzt. (I’m at the doctor’s.)
- mit (with): Ich spiele mit dem Hund. (I play with the dog.)
- nach (to/after): Wir gehen nach dem Park. (We go to the park.)
- seit (since): Ich wohne seit dem Sommer hier. (I’ve lived here since the summer.)
- von (from): Das Geschenk ist von der Oma. (The gift is from the grandma.)
- zu (to): Ich gehe zu dem Laden. (I go to the shop.)
Nominative, Accusative, and Dative Together
Let’s see how they work in one sentence:
- Der Mann gibt dem Kind das Buch.
- Der Mann (nominative): Who’s giving? The man.
- Das Buch (accusative): What’s being given? The book.
- Dem Kind (dative): To whom? The child.
- Die Frau zeigt dem Hund den Ball.
- Die Frau (nominative): Who’s showing? The woman.
- Den Ball (accusative): What’s being shown? The ball.
- Dem Hund (dative): To whom? The dog.
Word Order Tip: In German, you can mix up the order, and cases keep it clear:
- Dem Kind gibt der Mann das Buch. (Still "The man gives the child the book.")
Quick Article Tables
Definite Articles ("the")
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative | den | die | das | die |
| Dative | dem | der | dem | den |
Indefinite Articles ("a/an")
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ein | eine | ein |
| Accusative | einen | eine | ein |
| Dative | einem | einer | einem |
Two-Way Prepositions (Accusative or Dative)
Some prepositions can use accusative or dative, depending on what’s happening:
- an (at), auf (on), hinter (behind), in (in), neben (next to), über (over), unter (under), vor (in front of), zwischen (between)
Accusative (movement): Going somewhere.
- Ich gehe in den Garten. (I go into the garden.)
- Er legt das Buch auf den Tisch. (He puts the book on the table.)
Dative (location): Staying somewhere.
- Ich bin im Garten. (I’m in the garden.) (in + dem = im)
- Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (The book is on the table.)
Trick: Movement = accusative. No movement = dative.
Practice Time!
Try these exercises to get the hang of it. Answers are below each one.
Exercise 1: Pick the Article
Fill in der, den, dem, die, das, etc.
- ____ Hund rennt. (The dog runs.)
Answer: Der (nominative)
- Ich sehe ____ Katze. (I see the cat.)
Answer: die (accusative)
- Er hilft ____ Mann. (He helps the man.)
Answer: dem (dative)
- ____ Frau liest. (The woman reads.)
Answer: Die (nominative)
- Wir kaufen ____ Auto. (We buy the car.)
Answer: das (accusative)
- Ich gebe ____ Kind ein Spielzeug. (I give the child a toy.)
Answer: dem (dative)
Exercise 2: Which Case?
Name the case of the bold word.
- Der Junge spielt. (The boy plays.)
Answer: Nominative
- Ich kenne den Lehrer. (I know the teacher.)
Answer: Accusative
- Sie spricht dem Freund. (She speaks to the friend.)
Answer: Dative
- Die Schwester hilft. (The sister helps.)
Answer: Nominative
- Er liest das Buch. (He reads the book.)
Answer: Accusative
- Wir danken den Eltern. (We thank the parents.)
Answer: Dative
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Nominative vs. Accusative: Nominative is the doer; accusative is what’s acted on. (Der Hund bellt vs. Ich sehe den Hund.)
- Accusative vs. Dative: Accusative is the "what"; dative is the "to whom." (Ich gebe den Ball vs. Ich gebe dem Hund den Ball.)
- Forgetting Prepositions: Mit needs dative (mit dem Hund), not accusative (mit den Hund).
Tips to Learn Cases
- Ask Questions: "Who’s doing it?" (nominative), "What’s being done?" (accusative), "To whom?" (dative).
- Learn Prepositions: They’re like signposts for cases.
- Practice Short Sentences: Start with "Der Hund sieht den Mann" or "Ich helfe dem Kind."
- Repeat the Tables: Say them out loud until they’re stuck in your head.
You’ve Got This!
Now you know nominative (the doer), accusative (the receiver), and dative (the "to whom"). With these examples, tables, and practice, you’ve got everything to use cases confidently. Keep practicing, and soon it’ll feel natural. Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)