Akkusativ - Wen? Was?
Akkusativ — for English Speakers
Introduction
The accusative case marks the direct object — the thing receiving the action. In English, only pronouns change (he → him, she → her), but in German, articles change too. The good news: only masculine articles change in accusative (der → den, ein → einen). Feminine, neuter, and plural stay the same as nominative.
German vs English
In German
Ich sehe den Mann. (den = accusative masculine)
In English
I see him. (English pronoun changes: he → him)
Key Difference
German changes the article (der → den), not just the pronoun. Feminine/neuter/plural articles stay the same.
In German
Ich habe einen Hund. (einen = accusative)
In English
I have a dog. ('a' never changes in English)
Key Difference
German 'ein' becomes 'einen' for masculine accusative; English 'a' is always 'a'.
Common Mistakes for English Speakers
Ich kaufe der Apfel.
English 'the' never changes, so learners forget to switch der → den for masculine direct objects.
Ich sehe die Mann.
Confusing gender — using 'die' for a masculine noun because case changes feel unfamiliar.
Practice Examples
Er kauft einen Apfel.
He buys an apple.
Ich lese das Buch.
I'm reading the book.
Sie trinkt den Kaffee.
She drinks the coffee.
Memory Tip
Only masculine gets 'accused' — der becomes den, ein becomes einen. Everything else stays unchanged.
View Grammar Rule
Akkusativ - Wen? Was?
Akkusativ — A1
Practice Exercises
Akkusativ - Wen? Was? Übungen
8 exercises
Other Languages
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