Kasus: Akkusativ grammar in German

Language: German
Level: A1
Unit: Nomen und Kasus
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

The accusative case (Akkusativ) in German is used to show the direct object of a sentence—the person or thing that receives the action.

When to use it

Use the accusative in German when you want to say who or what is directly affected by the verb. It is also used after certain prepositions (like 'für', 'durch', 'um', etc.).

Key forms

den (masculine definite article), die (feminine), das (neuter), die (plural)
einen (masculine indefinite article), eine (feminine), ein (neuter)

Examples

Ich sehe den Hund.

English: I see the dog.

Sie hat einen Apfel.

English: She has an apple.

Wir kaufen die Blumen.

English: We buy the flowers.

Er trinkt das Wasser.

English: He drinks the water.

Tips

Only the masculine articles change in the accusative (der → den, ein → einen). Feminine, neuter, and plural forms stay the same as in nominative.
Watch out for verbs that always need an object (like 'haben', 'sehen', 'kaufen').
Remember that some prepositions always take the accusative, like 'für', 'durch', 'um', 'ohne', 'gegen'.

Exceptions and edge cases

Some verbs can take both accusative and dative objects, but at A1 level, focus on simple direct objects.
Personal pronouns also change in the accusative (ich → mich, du → dich, etc.).