Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson teaches German nouns and their articles in the accusative case (Akkusativ), focusing on direct objects. It explains how masculine articles change in the accusative, while feminine, neuter, and plural remain unchanged. Key question words Wen? and Was? help identify the direct object in a sentence, with examples like Ich sehe den Brief and Ich sehe die Straße.
  1. Question words in the accusative: Wen? (for people), Was? (for things, abstract concepts)
  2. Masculine nouns change their article in the accusative: der → den, ein → einen Example: Ich habe den/einen Ball.
  3. Feminine, neuter and plural forms remain the same.
Genus / Numerus (Gender / Number)Bestimmter Artikel (Definite article)Unbestimmter Artikel (Indefinite article)Beispiel (Example)
Maskulin (Masculine)den  (the )einen Ich sehe den (einen) Brief.
Feminin (Feminine)die (Gender / Number)eine Ich sehe die (eine) Straße.
Neutrum (Neuter)das (Gender / Number)ein Ich sehe das (ein) Handy.
Plural (Plural)die (Gender / Number) (kein Artikel)Ich sehe (die) Briefe/Straßen/Handys.

Exercise 1: Nomen und Artikel - Akkusativ

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

einen, die, eine, den, ein

1. (Unbestimmt):
Wir geben dir ... Handy.
(We give you a mobile phone.)
2. (Bestimmt):
Ich zähle ... Zahlen.
(I count the numbers.)
3. (Unbestimmt):
Sie hat ... E-Mail-Adresse.
(She has an email address.)
4. (Bestimmt):
Gibst du mir ... Telefonnummer?
(Will you give me the phone number?)
5. (Bestimmt):
Du sprichst ... Sprache.
(You speak the language.)
6. (Bestimmt):
Du kennst ... Straße.
(You know the street.)
7. (Bestimmt):
Er hat ... Kontakt von mir.
(He has the contact from me.)
8. (Unbestimmt):
Er sagt ... Satz.
(He says a sentence.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ich sehe ___ Brief von deinem Freund.

(I see ___ letter from your friend.)

2. Kannst du ___ Adresse der Firma bitte wiederholen?

(Can you please repeat ___ address of the company?)

3. Ich habe ___ neuen Laptop gekauft.

(I bought ___ new laptop.)

4. Sie besucht ___ Schwester in Berlin.

(She visits ___ sister in Berlin.)

5. Wir suchen ___ neue Büro.

(We are looking for ___ new office.)

6. Ich rufe ___ Vater heute Abend an.

(I call ___ father tonight.)

Understanding Nouns and Articles in the Accusative Case

This lesson focuses on learning how to use German nouns and their corresponding articles in the accusative case (Akkusativ), which is essential for forming sentences that show the direct object—the person or thing receiving the action.

Accusative Case Basics

The accusative case answers the questions: Wen? (Whom?) for people, and Was? (What?) for objects or abstract concepts. It marks the direct object of a sentence.

Articles in the Accusative

German articles change depending on gender and number. In the accusative, masculine nouns require a change in the article from der to den (definite) and from ein to einen (indefinite). Feminine, neuter, and plural articles remain unchanged.

Examples:

  • Ich sehe den (einen) Brief. (I see the/a letter.)
  • Ich sehe die (eine) Straße. (I see the/a street.)
  • Ich sehe das (ein) Handy. (I see the/a cell phone.)
  • Ich sehe die (–) Briefe. (I see the letters.)

Key Points to Remember

  • Only masculine nouns change their articles in the accusative case.
  • Feminine, neuter, and plural articles stay the same in the accusative
  • Questions like Wen? and Was? help identify the direct object.

Comparing English and German

Unlike English, which doesn’t change the article for the direct object, German articles vary by gender and case. For example, "der" (the) becomes "den" in masculine accusative, while "die" remains the same for feminine nouns. Knowing this helps form accurate sentences, such as "Ich habe den Ball" (I have the ball), where "den" indicates the direct object.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Tuesday, 15/07/2025 02:41