Cases (Leaving Cert German): Revision Notes
Cases
Overview
German uses a case system to show the grammatical role of nouns, pronouns, and articles in sentences. There are four cases that determine how these words change their endings. Understanding cases helps you show who is doing what to whom in German sentences.
The four cases are:
- Nominativ (Nominative) - the subject
- Akkusativ (Accusative) - the direct object
- Dativ (Dative) - the indirect object
- Genitiv (Genitive) - possession
Cases work like a tool that explains which purpose a noun has in a sentence and what relationship it has to other words. The case itself isn't a word - it's a grammatical concept that helps you choose the correct ending for articles, pronouns, and adjectives.
Rules and formation
1. Nominativ case
The nominativ case identifies the subject of the sentence - the person or thing performing the action.
When to use nominativ:
- Every subject is in the nominativ case
- Nouns that follow forms of "sein" (to be) as predicate complements
Examples: Nominativ Case
- Der Mann geht nach Hause. (The man goes home.)
- Eine Frau küsst einen Mann. (A woman kisses a man.)
- Er war ein Doktor. (He was a doctor.)
- Ich bin ein Student. (I am a student.)
2. Akkusativ case
The akkusativ case marks the direct object - the person or thing directly receiving the action of the verb.
When to use akkusativ:
- Direct objects receive the action of the verb
- After accusative prepositions: bis, durch, für, gegen, ohne, um
- After two-way prepositions when describing motion towards a destination
- Most time expressions
Examples: Akkusativ Case
- Der Mann küsst die Frau. (The man kisses the woman.)
- Ich kann ohne dich nicht leben. (I can't live without you.)
- Ich kaufe ein Geschenk für meinen Vater. (I buy a present for my father.)
- Ich gehe jeden Tag in die Schule. (I go to school every day.)
Two-way prepositions (motion = akkusativ): an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen
When you can ask "Wohin?" (whereto?), use akkusativ for motion towards a destination.
3. Dativ case
The dativ case shows the indirect object - the beneficiary of the action, often translating to "to" or "for" someone.
When to use dativ:
- Indirect objects (who benefits from the action)
- After dative prepositions: aus, außer, bei, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu
- After two-way prepositions when describing a location or state of rest
- With dative verbs
- With certain adjective and adverb expressions
Examples: Dativ Case
- Der Mann gibt dem Kind das Buch. (The man gives the book to the child.)
- Ich bleibe bei dir. (I stay with you.)
- Ich fahre mit dem Auto. (I drive with the car.)
Common dative verbs: antworten, danken, einfallen, erlauben, fehlen, gefallen, gehören, glauben, gratulieren, helfen, passen, schmecken, vertrauen, wehtun, zuhören
When you can ask "Wo?" (where?), use dativ for describing a single location or state of rest.
4. Genitiv case
The genitiv case expresses possession, ownership, or relationships between nouns.
When to use genitiv:
- To show possession or ownership
- To refer to a part of something larger
- After genitive prepositions: anstatt/statt, außerhalb, innerhalb, trotz, während, wegen
Examples: Genitiv Case
- Der Familienname meiner Freundin ist Pacana. (My girlfriend's family name is Pacana.)
- Das Kleid der Frau ist schön. (The woman's dress is nice.)
- Am Anfang des Sommers sehe ich sie wieder. (At the beginning of summer I will see her again.)
Table of key forms
These tables show how articles and pronouns change their forms according to case. Memorising these patterns will help you recognise and use cases correctly.
Definite articles (der, die, das = the)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Familien |
| Genitiv | des Mannes | der Frau | des Kindes | der Familien |
| Dativ | dem Mann | der Frau | dem Kind | den Familien |
| Akkusativ | den Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Familien |
Indefinite articles (ein, eine = a, an)
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | ein Mann | eine Frau | ein Kind |
| Genitiv | eines Mannes | einer Frau | eines Kindes |
| Dativ | einem Mann | einer Frau | einem Kind |
| Akkusativ | einen Mann | eine Frau | ein Kind |
Personal pronouns
| Case | ich | du | er | sie | es | wir | ihr | sie/Sie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | ich | du | er | sie | es | wir | ihr | sie/Sie |
| Genitiv | mein(e/er) | dein(e/er) | sein(e/er) | ihr(e/er) | sein(e/er) | unser(e) | euer/eur(e) | ihr(e/er)/Ihr(e/er) |
| Dativ | mir | dir | ihm | ihr | ihm | uns | euch | ihnen/Ihnen |
| Akkusativ | mich | dich | ihn | sie | es | uns | euch | sie/Sie |
Example sentences
Worked Examples: Cases in Action
Nominativ examples:
- Der Mann schreibt einen Brief. (The man writes a letter.) - Der Mann is the subject performing the action.
- Die Frau gibt dem Kind einen Kuss. (The woman gives the child a kiss.) - Die Frau is doing the giving.
Akkusativ examples:
- Ich sehe dich. (I see you.) - dich receives the action of seeing.
- Eine Frau geht über die Straße. (A woman crosses the street.) - Motion across the street.
Dativ examples:
- Ich gebe dir etwas. (I give you something.) - dir is the beneficiary.
- Er schickt ihr einen Brief. (He sends her a letter.) - ihr receives the letter.
Genitiv examples:
- Mein Vater heißt Gerhard. (My father's name is Gerhard.) - Shows possession.
- Das Ende des Films war schlecht. (The end of the film was bad.) - Shows part of something.
Common mistakes and tips
Common mistakes:
- Confusing accusative and dative with two-way prepositions. Remember: motion = accusative, location = dative
- Forgetting that the subject is always nominative, even when it comes after the verb
- Using the wrong case after dative verbs like helfen or danken
- Mixing up question words - wen (accusative) vs wem (dative)
Tips for success:
- Learn the question words: Wer/Was? (nominativ), Wen/Was? (akkusativ), Wem? (dativ), Wessen? (genitiv)
- Memorise preposition lists for each case - they're reliable indicators
- Practice identifying the subject first, then look for direct and indirect objects
- With two-way prepositions, ask yourself "going to" (accusative) or "staying at" (dative)
- Remember that dative verbs always take dative objects, regardless of meaning
Key Points to Remember:
- Nominativ answers "who or what?" and identifies the subject doing the action
- Akkusativ answers "whom or what?" and shows who/what directly receives the action
- Dativ answers "to/for whom?" and indicates who benefits from the action
- Genitiv answers "whose?" and expresses possession or relationships
- Question words are your best friends for identifying cases in German sentences