Ich sehe den Mann.
English: I see the man.
- Language
- German
- Level
- A2
- Unit
- Verben und Verbformen
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In German, some verbs always use the accusative case for their object. These are called 'Verben mit Akkusativ'. The accusative shows who or what receives the action.
When to use it
Use this structure when the verb needs a direct object – the person or thing that gets the action. Many common verbs like 'haben', 'sehen', and 'brauchen' use the accusative.
Key forms
- Verb + Akkusativobjekt
- Ich habe einen Hund.
- Sie sucht den Schlüssel.
Examples
Wir kaufen einen Apfel.
English: We buy an apple.
Sie hat einen Bruder.
English: She has a brother.
Er sucht die Tasche.
English: He looks for the bag.
Tips
- Remember that the articles (der/die/das) change in the accusative: der → den, ein → einen for masculine nouns.
- Only the masculine nouns change in the accusative; feminine and neuter stay the same.
- Not all verbs take the accusative; some verbs need the dative case instead.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs can take both accusative and dative objects (e.g., 'geben': Ich gebe dem Mann einen Apfel).
- A few verbs look like they should take accusative but actually use dative (e.g., 'helfen').