Bite 10: German Cases: Nominativ and Akkusativ

German in 100 bites by Dr. Mitar Pitzek

Bite 10:
German Cases: Nominativ and Akkusativ
(A1 Level)

Innes Blog - Bite 10: Nominativ and Akkusativ

Before We Dive In

Have you ever wondered how Germans know if something is the subject or the object of a sentence? The answer lies in the cases (die Fälle). Think of them as little assistants in your sentence, helping you figure out who does what to whom.

Here’s a scene you might recognize in a German class: Imagine a teacher (der Lehrer) explaining something to a student (der Schüler). The teacher is the one doing the action – the subject, or Nominativ. Meanwhile, the student is the one directly affected by the action – the direct object, or Akkusativ.

Der Lehrer unterrichtet den Schüler.

(The teacher teaches the student.)

Here, der Lehrer (the teacher) is in the Nominativ case, while den Schüler (the student) is in the Akkusativ case.
These two cases are like a pair of glasses that help you clearly see who’s doing what in a sentence. In this Bite, we’ll guide you step-by-step through the Nominativ and Akkusativ, the building blocks of German grammar. Once you’ve got these down, you’ll be well on your way to forming clear, structured sentences in German!

Introduction

Imagine you’re at a German restaurant. You want to order food, so you say:

Ich möchte eine Suppe. (I want a soup.)

But wait-why isn’t it ein Suppe? The answer lies in the magic of cases! In this lesson, we’ll make sense of Nominativ and Akkusativ, so you can build sentences with confidence.

Step-by-Step Guide to Nominativ and Akkusativ

1. What Are Cases in German?

German uses cases to show the role of each word in a sentence. Here’s how the Nominativ and Akkusativ work:

Nominativ: The subject (the thing doing the action).
Example:

Der Mann liest. (The man reads.)
Die Frau lacht. (The woman laughs.)

To find the Nominativ, ask:

Wer oder was macht etwas? (Who or what is doing something?)
Wer liest? Der Mann. (Who is reading? The man.)
Wer lacht? Die Frau. (Who is laughing? The woman.)

Akkusativ: The direct object (the thing receiving the action).
Example:

Der Mann liest ein Buch. (The man reads a book.)
Die Frau hat eine Katze. (The woman has a cat.)

To find the Akkusativ, ask:

Wen oder was sehe ich? (Whom or what do I see?)
Wen liest der Mann? Ein Buch. (What is the man reading? A book.)
Wen hat die Frau? Eine Katze. (Whom does the woman have? A cat.)

2. Articles Change Depending on the Case

Let’s focus on the definite and indefinite articles:

Case	Maskuline	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominativ	der	die	das	die
Akkusativ	den	die	das	die

Examples:

Nominativ:
- Der Hund spielt. (The dog is playing.)
- Wer oder was spielt? Der Hund. (Who or what is playing? The dog.)
Akkusativ:
- Ich sehe den Hund. (I see the dog.)
- Wen oder was sehe ich? Den Hund. (Whom or what do I see? The dog.)

3. Recognizing Nominativ and Akkusativ in Sentences

Here’s a quick tip:

The subject is always in the Nominativ case.
The direct object is in the Akkusativ case.

Examples:

Der Mann sieht die Frau. (The man sees the woman.)
- Wer sieht? Der Mann. (Who sees? The man.)
- Wen sieht der Mann? Die Frau. (Whom does the man see? The woman.)
Die Frau hat das Buch. (The woman has the book.)
- Wer hat? Die Frau. (Who has? The woman.)
- Was hat die Frau? Das Buch. (What does the woman have? The book.)

4. Practice Time!

Identify the Nominativ and Akkusativ in the following sentences:

Das Kind isst einen Apfel.
- Wer isst? Das Kind. (Who is eating? The child.)
- Wen oder was isst das Kind? Einen Apfel. (Whom or what is the child eating? An apple.)
Die Katze jagt die Maus.
- Wer jagt? Die Katze. (Who is chasing? The cat.)
- Wen oder was jagt die Katze? Die Maus. (Whom or what is the cat chasing? The mouse.)
Ich lese das Buch.
- Wer liest? Ich. (Who is reading? I.)
- Wen oder was lese ich? Das Buch. (What am I reading? The book.)

Pro Tip from Dr. Mitar Pitzek

Whenever you’re unsure, ask yourself the questions:

Wer oder was…? (Who or what?) → Nominativ.
Wen oder was…? (Whom or what?) → Akkusativ.

These simple questions can help you untangle even the trickiest sentences!

Summary

Understanding the Nominativ and Akkusativ cases is essential for building simple German sentences. Start with basic phrases like Ich sehe den Hund and practice spotting the subject and object in everyday speech.

Practice Tip: Try making your own sentences about what you see around you. Example: