The German Accusative Case
Use den, einen and mich/dich/ihn correctly for direct objects, after es gibt and after für, durch and ohne.
The accusative is the case of the direct object: the thing you buy, see, need or have. It's the second case you'll use in almost every sentence.
The good news: only the masculine article changes. Der becomes den and ein becomes einen; everything else stays as it is.
The accusative is the direct object
The direct object is the person or thing the action goes to directly. Ask Wen? (whom?) or Was? (what?) to find it.
Ich kaufe einen Kaffee.
I'm buying a coffee.
Wir besuchen den Onkel am Sonntag.
We're visiting our uncle on Sunday.
Kennst du die neue Kollegin?
Do you know the new colleague?
Accusative forms
Feminine, neuter and plural look exactly like the nominative. Pronouns, however, change in most persons.
Definite article
- Masculineden
- Femininedie
- Neuterdas
- Pluraldie
Indefinite article
- Masculineeinen
- Feminineeine
- Neuterein
Negative article
- Masculinekeinen
- Femininekeine
- Neuterkein
- Pluralkeine
Personal pronouns
- ichmich
- dudich
- erihn
- sie / essie / es
- wiruns
- ihreuch
- sie / Siesie / Sie
Verbs and phrases that take the accusative
- Most verbs with one object: haben, brauchen, kaufen, sehen, suchen.
- es gibt always takes the accusative: Es gibt einen Park.
- Time phrases without a preposition: jeden Tag, nächsten Monat.
Es gibt hier keinen Supermarkt.
There's no supermarket here.
Ich brauche einen neuen Laptop.
I need a new laptop.
Accusative prepositions
durch, für, gegen, ohne and um always take the accusative, whatever else happens in the sentence.
Das Geschenk ist für meinen Bruder.
The present is for my brother.
Wir laufen durch den Park.
We're walking through the park.
Common mistakes
✗
Ich habe ein Hund.✓ Ich habe einen Hund.
Hund is masculine, so ein becomes einen.
✗
Ich sehe er.✓ Ich sehe ihn.
Object pronouns change too: er becomes ihn.
✗
Das ist für dir.✓ Das ist für dich.
für takes the accusative: dich, not dir.
Questions learners ask
Why does only the masculine change in the accusative?
Feminine, neuter and plural simply use the same form in nominative and accusative. So for articles you only need den, einen, keinen and meinen.
Does 'es gibt' take the accusative?
Yes. Es is the subject, so the thing that exists is an object: Es gibt einen Bahnhof.
How do I know if a verb takes the accusative?
Most verbs with a single object do. The exceptions are the dative verbs, such as helfen, danken and gefallen.