In German, nouns take different forms depending on their role in the sentence — this is called the case (Kasus) system. The accusative marks the direct object of the verb: the thing being acted upon. It is similar to the direct object in English: "Ich sehe den Mann" → "I see the man."
Quick test: If you can ask "Wen?" (Whom?) or "Was?" (What?) in the sentence, the answer is in the accusative. Ich kaufe einen Kaffee. → What am I buying? → einen Kaffee ✓
Article Change: Only der → den
Here is the good news: in the accusative, only the masculine (maskulin) article changes. Feminine, neuter and plural stay the same.
| Gender | Nominative (subject) | Accusative (object) | Changed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der | den | ✅ der → den |
| Feminine | die | die | — stays the same |
| Neuter | das | das | — stays the same |
| Plural | die | die | — stays the same |
The same logic applies to the indefinite article (ein/eine):
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative | Changed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | ein | einen | ✅ ein → einen |
| Feminine | eine | eine | — stays the same |
| Neuter | ein | ein | — stays the same |
Examples in Sentences
Subject shown in blue, accusative object underlined in orange:
- Ich sehe den Mann. I see the man. (der Mann → den Mann ✓)
- Ich kaufe einen Kaffee. I am buying a coffee. (ein Kaffee → einen Kaffee ✓)
- Sie liest die Zeitung. She is reading the newspaper. (die Zeitung → die Zeitung — no change ✓)
- Er hat das Buch. He has the book. (das Buch → das Buch — no change ✓)
- Wir besuchen einen Freund. We are visiting a friend. (ein Freund → einen Freund ✓)
Verbs That Take the Accusative (A1)
These verbs always take an accusative object. When forming sentences, pay attention to the article in front of the object:
⚠️ Watch out: "helfen" (to help) takes the dative, not accusative: Ich helfe dem Mann. (Dative → "Wem?") This is one of the most common mistakes learners make.
Ask "Wen?" / "Was?"
Always ask this question to find the object. The answer is in the accusative. "Ich sehe wen? — den Mann."
Only "der" Changes
In the accusative, only the masculine gender changes. die, das, die (plural) stay the same. That's all you need to memorise.
Memorise the Verb List
At A1 level there are about 15–20 common verbs that take the accusative. Once you know them, you'll automatically use the right form.
Practise in Context
Shopping sentences like "Ich kaufe einen Apfel, eine Banane, ein Brot" are perfect for getting the accusative to stick.
Test Yourself
Choose the correct article:
Practice Accusative with Games
DeutschGo's quiz and mini-game modules teach sentence cases with real examples. Learn fast with instant feedback.
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