Fälle (Cases)

Introduction

German has four cases (Fälle) that show the function of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in a sentence. Understanding cases is essential for using articles, pronouns, and adjective endings correctly.

The four cases are: 1. Nominativ (Nominative) – subject of the sentence 2. Akkusativ (Accusative) – direct object 3. Dativ (Dative) – indirect object 4. Genitiv (Genitive) – possession / “of”

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1. Nominative (Nominativ)

Use: Subject of the sentence, the “doer” of the action.

Examples: - Der Mann liest ein Buch. (The man reads a book.) - Die Frau arbeitet im Büro. (The woman works in the office.)

Quick Tip: Ask “Wer?” / “Was?” (Who? / What?) to find the subject.

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2. Accusative (Akkusativ)

Use: Direct object, the thing/person receiving the action.

Examples: - Ich sehe den Mann. (I see the man.) - Sie kauft das Buch. (She buys the book.)

Quick Tip: Ask “Wen?” / “Was?” (Whom? / What?) to find the direct object.

Accusative Articles Example:

Gender	Article
Masculine	den
Feminine	die
Neuter	das
Plural	die

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3. Dative (Dativ)

Use: Indirect object, the person/thing benefiting from the action.

Examples: - Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch. (I give the man the book.) - Sie hilft der Frau. (She helps the woman.)

Quick Tip: Ask “Wem?” (To whom?) to find the indirect object.

Dative Articles Example:

Gender	Article
Masculine	dem
Feminine	der
Neuter	dem
Plural	den + noun + -n (if possible)

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4. Genitive (Genitiv)

Use: Shows possession or relationships. Often replaced by Dativ in speech.

Examples: - Das Auto des Mannes ist neu. (The man’s car is new.) - Das Haus der Frau ist groß. (The woman’s house is big.)

Quick Tip: Ask “Wessen?” (Whose?) to identify the genitive.

Genitive Articles Example:

Gender	Article
Masculine	des
Feminine	der
Neuter	des
Plural	der

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5. Summary Table of Cases

Case	Question	Function	Example
Nominativ	Wer? Was?	Subject	Der Mann liest.
Akkusativ	Wen? Was?	Direct object	Ich sehe den Mann.
Dativ	Wem?	Indirect object	Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch.
Genitiv	Wessen?	Possession	Das Auto des Mannes ist neu.

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