The accusative case
German normally uses the accusative case when the noun is the direct object, i.e. the ‘receiver’ of the action in the sentence:
Der Mann kauft den Computer. The man buys the computer.
In the accusative case, the endings for the modifiers (for example, the definite article, e.g. der, or the indefinite article, e.g. ein), change when used for masculine nouns:
• der changes to den and
• ein changes to einen
For nouns in the feminine, the neuter and the plural, the endings are the same as in the nominative case.
Endings in the accusative case
Here is an overview of accusative endings for some of the most common modifiers:
| modifier | masculine | feminine | neuter | plural |
| definite articles | den Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Gäste |
| indefinite articles | einen Mann | eine Frau | ein Kind | Gäste |
| negative article | keinen Mann | keine Frau | kein Kind | keine Gäste |
| possessive | meinen Mann | meine Frau | mein Kind | meine Gäste |
As you can see, the endings for all masculine modifiers are -en.
Examples
Here are some examples of nouns in the accusative case in use:
| Nominative | accusative | |
| der Stuhl | Ich kaufe den Stuhl | I buy the chair. |
| die CD | Er hört die CD. | He is listening to the CD. |
| das Auto | Fährst du das Auto? | Are you driving the car? |
| ein Regenschirm (m) | Ich habe einen Regenschirm | I’ve got an umbrella. |
| eine Cola (f) | Ich nehme eine Cola. | I’ll take a coke. |
| ein Bier (n) | Sie trinkt ein Bier. | She is drinking a beer. |
| der Hunger | Ich habe keinen Hunger. | I’m not hungry. |
| ihr Bruder (m) | Sie vermisst ihren Bruder | She misses her brother. |
More than one accusative in a sentence
As explained above, use of the accusative case is not determined only by the noun being in a position like the direct object in English. Use of the accusative case is also governed by the verb and some prepositions. It is therefore possible for there to be more than one accusative form in a sentence:
Ich sehe den Jungen ohne seinen Mantel.
I see the boy without his coat.
Wir kaufen einen Tisch und einen Schrank für deinen Vater.
We are buying a table and a wardrobe for your father.
The accusative case – the main points
The accusative case is mainly used for the direct object in a sentence. But it can also be determined by the verb and certain prepositions.
Don’t forget that, with feminine, neuter and plural nouns, the endings for the modifier are not changed in the accusative and are exactly the same as the nominative:
eine Schokolade Ich möchte eine Schokolade. I would like a hot chocolate.
das Kind Ich sehe das Kind. I see the child.
die Gäste Ich höre die Gäste nebenan. I hear the guests next door.
