Der Hund läuft.
English: The dog runs.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Fälle
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The Nominativ is the basic form of nouns and pronouns in German. It is used for the subject of a sentence—the person or thing doing the action.
When to use it
Use the Nominativ for the subject of a sentence, after the verb 'sein' (to be), and for nouns and pronouns that are doing the action.
Key forms
- der Mann
- die Frau
- das Kind
- die Hunde
Examples
Die Katze schläft.
English: The cat sleeps.
Das Buch ist neu.
English: The book is new.
Die Kinder spielen.
English: The children play.
Tips
- Remember: The Nominativ is used for the subject of the sentence.
- Watch out: Articles (der, die, das, die) change in other cases, but these are for Nominativ.
- After 'sein' (to be), use Nominativ, not another case.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs (like 'werden' and 'bleiben') also use the Nominativ after them.