http://www.deutschseite.de
by 
Cathy & Tom
last updated:
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http://www.deutschseite.de |
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learning target |
The four cases is one of the most important topics in German grammar but also one of the most difficult ones. That's why we will spend more time than usual to cover it. When you understood the cases you can handle a lot of problems like:
"declension" of definite and indefinite articles
| German | English |
| Der Mann schreibt einen Brief. | The man writes a letter. |
"declension" of personal pronouns
| German | English |
| Ich sehe dich. | I see you. |
"declension" of possessive pronouns
| German | English |
| Mein Vater heißt Gerhard. | My father's name is Gerhard. |
declension of adjectives (adjective endings)
| German | English |
| Ich habe eine hübsche Freundin. | I've got a pretty girlfriend. |
"declension" of "der-words"
| German | English |
| Solche Leute lernen es nie. | Such people won't ever learn it. |
rules |
What are the four cases?
1. Fall | 2. Fall | 3. Fall | 4. Fall |
What is a case and what do we need it for?
The case (= Fall or Kasus) is a "tool" to explain which purpose has a noun in a sentence and in which relation is the noun to the other words. The case itself is no word. It's a fictional "thing" to help you to understand which ending words get or which article / pronoun we have to choose.
I want to test you. What's wrong with the following sentence?
Her gives my a kiss.
The correct sentence has to be: She gives me a kiss.
But why is it "She" and "me"? That's exaxtly the question! "She" is in the nominative case and "I" am in the dative case.
How can you find out which part of the sentence is in which case?
That's the master question. To answer it I will give you for every single case rules and then we will practise at first only 2 cases together, later 3 and finally all 4. Let's start!
1. Fall: Nominativ |
1.) Every subject is in the nominative case. |
What is the subject of a sentence?
The subject is the acting person / thing in a sentence. The subject is "doing" something.
example 1:
You can ask who does something in the sentence? Who goes home? --> answer: der Mann
example 2:
You can ask who does something in the sentence? Who kisses a man? --> answer: eine Frau
2.) Every noun or pronoun which follows a form of "be" is in the nominative case. The noun / pronoun after the "be" is a so-called "predicate complement". |
example 1:
"Er" and "Doktor" are in the nominative case. "Er" is the subject of the sentence.
"Doktor" follows a form of "be" and is thus a predicate complement.
example 2:
"Ich" and "Student" are in the nominative case. "Ich" is the subject of the sentence.
"Student" follows a form of "be" and is thus a predicate complement.
4. Fall: Akkusativ |
1.) The direct object is in the accusative case. |
What is the direct object of a sentence?
The direct object is the not-acting person / thing in a sentence. The direct object receives the action of the verb.
Der Mann küsst die Frau.
The man is doing something. He kisses the woman. So the man is the subject of the sentence (=nominative case).
The woman is being kissed. She is not acting. So she is the direct object (=accusative case).
2.) Nouns / pronouns which follow accusative prepositions are in the accusative case. |
Accusative prepositionen
Whenever you see one of these prepositions it must be a signal for you that the
following noun / pronoun is in the accusative case.
example 1:
example 2:
3.) Nouns / pronouns which follow "two-way" prepositions are either in the accusative case or the dative case. |
"two-way" prepositionen
Your question is surely now how do you find out which of the two cases you have to use. The answer is quite easy.
When you can ask "Wohin?" (=whereto?) then the object is in the accusative case. That means you describe a motion towards a destination. |
When you can ask "Wo?" (=where?) then the object is in the dative case. |
examples:
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4.) Most time expressions are in the accusative case. |
example 1:
example 2:
3. Fall: Dativ |
1.) The indirect object is in the dative case. |
What is the indirect object of a sentence?
The indirect object is the beneficiary of the action in the sentence. Usually it's a person.
You can also say the indirect object is the receiver of the direct object.
Der Mann gibt dem Kind das Buch.
The man is doing something. He gives a book to the child. So the man is the subject of the sentence (=nominative case).
The book is given. It's not acting. So it's the direct object (=accusative case).
The child benefits from this action. After the action it owns a new book. So the child is the indirect object (=dative case).
2.) Nouns / pronouns which follow dative prepositions are in the dative case. |
Dative prepositionen
Whenever you see one of these prepositions it must be a signal for you that the
following noun / pronoun is in the dative case.
example 1:
example 2:
3.) Nouns / pronouns which follow "two-way" prepositions are either in the accusative case or the dative case. |
See accusative case
4.) Nouns / pronouns which follow "dative verbs" are in the dative case. |
Dative verbs
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group 1 (often used)
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group 2 (rarely used)
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Whenever you see one of these verbs it must be a signal for you that the
following noun / pronoun is in the dative case.
example 1:
example 2:
5.) Nouns / pronouns are in the dative case when they are used with certain adjective and adverb expressions. |
adjective and adverb expressions
Because just a form of "be" is the verb in these sentences, only the adjectives/adverbs indicate the dative case.
example 1:
example 2:
2. Fall: Genitiv |
1.) The genetive case is used when you describe / ownership. |
example 1:
example 2:
2.) The genetive case is used when you refer to a part of something else. In English the "of-genitive" is used for this. |
example 1:
example 2:
3.) Nouns / pronouns which follow genitive prepositions are in the genitive case. |
Genitive prepositionen
Whenever you see one of these prepositions it must be a signal for you that the
following noun / pronoun is in the genitive case.
example 1:
example 2:
The "s" - genitive
Like in English there is a way to indicate possessive by adding a "s" to the noun. Be careful, however.
Only if the person, city or country - which "possesses" something - is called by their personal name you are allowed to use this form of genitive.
Furthermore you should consider that you add the "s" without apostrophe.
An alternative way
An alternative way to indicate that somethings belongs to somebody (possessive) is the "von construct".
The "real" genitive is mostly used in written German. In daily spoken German you will often hear the "von construct".
Consider that "von" is dative preposition and the following article, pronoun etc.
must be in the dative case and not in the genitive case even though you express possessive.
Question words
At the end of the theory part I want you to show the way how Germans are taught the 4 cases at school.
We just use some question words to find out which part of the sentence is in which case.
My experience showed me, however, that it's less helpful for foreigners. Nevertheless, I want you to show you this way.
| case | question words |
| Nominativ | Wer oder Was? (Who or What?) |
| Genitive | Wessen? (Whose?) |
| Dative | Wem? (to Whom?) |
| Akkusativ | Wen oder Was? (Whom or What?) |
example 1:
Der Mann gibt dem Kind das Buch.
example 2:
Der Familienname meiner Freundin ist Pacana.
The rest of the sentence "Der Familienname ... ist Pacana" is a classical "predicate complement" (see nominative case, point 2).
It's both in the nominative case.
tables |
The following collection of tables is just an information source for the weeks and months to come.
You don't have to learn them by heart.
"declension" of definite article (der, die, das = the)
case | singular | plural | ||
male | female | neuter | - | |
nominative | der Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Familien |
genitive | des Mannes | der Frau | des Kindes | der Familien |
dative | dem Mann | der Frau | dem Kind | den Familien |
accusative | den Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Familien |
As you already noticed not just the article changes. Some nouns get an additional ending as well.
For more details check Deklination der Substantive.
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"declension" of indefinite article (ein = a, an)
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"declension" of indefinite "article" (kein = no, none)
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Basically, "ein" and "kein" are the same. They've got the same endings. "Kein" is just the negation of "ein".
Regard that "ein" has (of course) no plural form because "ein" describes just one thing of something.
"declension" of personal pronouns (ich, du, er ... = I, you, he ...)
nominative | genitive | dative | accusative |
ich | mein(e/er) | mir | mich |
du | dein(e/er) | dir | dich |
er | sein(e/er) | ihm | ihn |
sie | ihr(e/er) | ihr | sie |
es | sein(e/er) | ihm | es |
wir | unser(e) | uns | uns |
ihr | euer(e) | euch | euch |
sie | ihr(e/er | ihnen | sie |
Sie | Ihr(e/er) | Ihnen | Sie |
For the endings in the genitive case check the following table: possessive pronouns.
"declension" of possessive pronouns (mein, dein, sein ... = my, your, his ...)
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"declension" of the possessive pronoun (mein = my)
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"declension" of the possessive pronoun (dein = your, singular)
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"declension" of the possessive pronoun (sein = his)
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"declension" of the possessive pronoun (ihr = her)
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"declension" of the possessive pronoun (unser = our)
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"declension" of the possessive pronoun (euer = your, plural)
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As you can see all the possessive pronouns have got the same endings. So you have to know just one and you know all. If you compare it with the "declension" of indifinite article you will see they also have the same ending. That makes it much easier. Of course there is an exception. The possessive pronoun "euer" (=your, plural) sometimes drops the "e" in the middle (marked with a *). Forget this for now.
declension of adjectives (adjective endings)
declension of adjectives without article
case | singular | plural | ||
male | female | neuter | - | |
nominative | guter Mann | gute Frau | gutes Kind | gute Familien |
genitive | guten Mannes | guter Frau | guten Kindes | guter Familien |
dative | gutem Mann | guter Frau | gutem Kind | guten Familien |
accusative | guten Mann | gute Frau | gutes Kind | gute Familien |
declension of adjectives with definite article (der, die, das)
case | singular | plural | ||
male | female | neuter | - | |
nominative | der gute Mann | die gute Frau | das gute Kind | die guten Familien |
genitive | des guten Mannes | der guten Frau | des guten Kindes | der guten Familien |
dative | dem guten Mann | der guten Frau | dem guten Kind | den guten Familien |
accusative | den guten Mann | die gute Frau | das gute Kind | die guten Familien |
declension of adjectives with indefinite article (ein)
case | Singular | Plural | ||
male | female | neuter | - | |
nominative | ein guter Mann | eine gute Frau | ein gutes Kind | - |
genitive | eines guten Mannes | einer guten Frau | eines guten Kindes | - |
dative | einem guten Mann | einer guten Frau | einem guten Kind | - |
accusative | einen guten Mann | eine gute Frau | ein gutes Kind | - |
"declension" of "der-words"
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"declension" of the pronoun (dies- = this, these)
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"declension" of the pronoun (jen- = that, those)
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"declension" of the pronoun (welch- = which)
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"declension" of the pronoun (solch- = such)
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"declension" of the pronoun (jed- = each, every)
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"declension" of the pronoun (manch- = some)
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As you can see all "der-words" have got the same ending. If you know one then you know all.
exercises |
Nominativ und Akkusativ | |||||
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| | Fälle 2 (a+b+c+d) |
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| | Fälle 3 (b+c) + (a+d = old topics) |
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| | Fälle 4 (all) |
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| | Fälle 5 (a+b+c) |
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| | Fälle 6 (all) |
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| | Fälle 7 (a+b) |
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Nominativ, Akkusativ und Dativ | |||||
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| | Fälle 10 (a+b+d+e) |
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Genitiv | |||||
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summary - documents for your folder |
| | Die 4 Fälle (theory, 15 pages) |
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| | Die 4 Fälle (short summary, 1 page) |
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