Nominativ vs Akkusativ
When to Use
Nominativ is the subject case (Wer? — who?). Akkusativ is the direct object case (Wen/Was? — whom/what?). Only masculine articles change: der → den, ein → einen. Feminine, neuter, and plural articles stay the same in both cases.
Comparison
| Nominativ | Akkusativ | |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Wer? (who?) | Wen/Was? (whom/what?) |
| Function | Subject | Direct object |
| Masc. article | der / ein | den / einen |
| Fem./Neut./Pl. | die/das/die — ein/eine | die/das/die — ein/eine (no change) |
Examples
Correct
Der Hund beißt den Mann.
Wrong
Den Hund beißt der Mann. (different meaning!)
Correct
Ein Mann trinkt einen Kaffee.
Wrong
Ein Mann trinkt ein Kaffee.
Correct
Ich sehe den Lehrer.
Wrong
Ich sehe der Lehrer.
Tips
Only masculine changes! Feminine, neuter, and plural stay the same in Nominativ and Akkusativ.
The subject is the one doing the action. The direct object receives the action.
German word order is flexible — articles tell you who does what, not position.
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