Accusative Case in German Grammar – Complete Declension Tables

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Introduction

The accusative case, also called the accusative object or direct object (4. Fall/Wen-Fall in German), follows certain verbs and prepositions. It is used for the thing or person receiving the direct action of a verb. Because word order is freer in German grammar, we use the accusative case to mark the direct object in a sentence. Articles, pronouns and nouns have to be declined/inflected in the accusative. We can find the accusative case by asking wen/was – Whom/what is receiving the direct action?

Master the accusative case online with Lingolia’s complete declension tables. Then put your knowledge to the test in the exercises.

Declension Table: Articles, Adjectives, and Nouns in Accusative

definite article*indefinite article, kein,
possessive determines (mein…)		no article
masculine den netten Vater einen netten Vater netten Vater
feminine die nette Mutter eine nette Mutter nette Mutter
neuter das nette Kind ein nettes Kind nettes Kind
plural die netten Eltern nette Eltern nette Eltern

*Adjectives that come after the following words are declined exactly the same as after the definite article: derselbe, dieser, jener, mancher, solcher, welcher, alle.

Example:
Jeder gute Schüler muss im Unterricht aufpassen.Every good pupil must pay attention in class.
(but: Ein guter Schüler muss im Unterricht aufpassen.A good pupil must pay attention in class.)

Declension Table: Accusative Pronouns

personal pronounspossessive pronouns (dependent, independent)
masculineneuterfeminine + plural
dependentindependent
1st person singular mich meinen mein meins meine
2nd person singular dich deinen dein deins deine
3rd person singular (m) ihn seinen sein seins seine
3rd person singular (f) sie ihren ihr ihr(e)s ihre
3rd person singular (n) es seinen sein seins seine
1st person plural uns unser(e)n unser unser(e)s unsere
2nd person plural euch euren euer eures eure
3rd person plural sie ihren ihr ihr(e)s ihre

Usage

List of common verbs that take the accusative:

bestellento order, bezahlento pay for, buchento book, kaufento buy, verkaufento sell
besuchento visit, treffento meet, kennento know
hörento hear/to listen to, sehento see, verstehento understand, fragento ask, vergessento forget
lesento read, schreibento write, zählento count, lernento learn/to study
essento eat, trinkento drink, rauchento smoke
habento have, besitzento possess, tragento wear/to carry
versteckento hide, suchento search for, findento find
legento lay, setzento set, stellento place (+ preposition)

List of prepositions that take the accusative:

durch, … entlang, für, gegen, ohne, um

Accusative or Dative

Some verbs and prepositions can be used with either the accusative or the dative. We use the accusative to ask about direction (where to?).

hängen, stecken
an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen