10K+ students - 4.8/5
Learn with a teacher Learning materials included Practise conversation

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn to express existence in German using "Es gibt" with the accusative, including singular forms like "einen Stuhl" (a chair), "eine Lampe" (a lamp), and plural forms such as "Stühle" (chairs). This lesson also covers negation with "kein" and quantity expressions like "drei Lampen" (three lamps).
  1. "Es gibt" is always used with the accusative.
Beispieltyp (Example type)Beispielsatz (Example sentence)
Unbestimmter Artikel (Singular) (Indefinite article (singular))Es gibt einen Stuhl.
Es gibt eine Lampe.
Es gibt ein Bett.
Plural (ohne Artikel) (Plural (without article))Es gibt Stühle.
Negation mit „kein“ (Negation with „kein“)Es gibt keinen Stuhl.
Mit Mengenangabe (With quantity specification)Es gibt drei Lampen.

Exercise 1: "Es gibt" mit Akkusativ

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

einen Garten, drei Zimmer, eine Küche, Bäder, ein Schlafzimmer, einen Balkon, acht Fenster, keinen Balkon

1. Das Fenster, 8:
Es gibt ... in der Wohnung.
(There are eight windows in the flat.)
2. Der Balkon:
Es gibt ... mit Blumen.
(There is a balcony with flowers.)
3. Der Balkon, 0:
Es gibt ... am Haus.
(There is no balcony on the house.)
4. Das Schlafzimmer:
Es gibt ... für die Eltern.
(There is a bedroom for the parents.)
5. Das Zimmer, 3:
Es gibt ... in der Wohnung.
(There are three rooms in the flat.)
6. Das Bad (Plural):
Es gibt ... im Haus.
(There are bathrooms in the house.)
7. Der Garten:
Es gibt ... mit vielen Pflanzen.
(There is a garden with many plants.)
8. Die Küche:
Es gibt ... im Erdgeschoss.
(There is a kitchen on the ground floor.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Es gibt _____ schönen Garten hinter dem Haus.

(There is _____ beautiful garden behind the house.)

2. In der Wohnung gibt es _____ Zimmer und eine Küche.

(There are _____ rooms and a kitchen in the apartment.)

3. Es gibt _____ Waschmaschine im Keller.

(There is _____ washing machine in the basement.)

4. Im Wohnzimmer gibt es _____ große Lampe.

(There is _____ big lamp in the living room.)

5. In der Garage gibt es _____ Auto.

(There is _____ car in the garage.)

6. Es gibt _____ gemütliches Bett im Schlafzimmer.

(There is _____ cozy bed in the bedroom.)

Introduction to "Es gibt" with the Accusative Case

This lesson focuses on the common German phrase "Es gibt," which is used to express the existence or presence of something. It is an essential structure for everyday communication, especially for describing what is available or present in a given context.

Using "Es gibt" with the Accusative

"Es gibt" always requires the accusative case for the noun or noun phrase that follows it. This means objects or things mentioned after "Es gibt" are in the accusative form, which affects the article and sometimes the ending of the noun.

Examples of "Es gibt" with Different Articles and Quantities

  • Unbestimmter Artikel (Singular): Examples include Es gibt einen Stuhl (a chair - masculine), Es gibt eine Lampe (a lamp - feminine), and Es gibt ein Bett (a bed - neuter). The articles change to match the accusative masculine, feminine, or neuter forms.
  • Plural (no article): When referring to more than one item without an article, simply use the plural noun as in Es gibt Stühle (there are chairs).
  • Negation with "kein": To say something does not exist, use "kein" in the accusative form, for example, Es gibt keinen Stuhl (there is no chair).
  • With quantity: Quantifiers are placed before the noun, e.g., Es gibt drei Lampen (there are three lamps).

Key Vocabulary

  • Stuhl – chair
  • Lampe – lamp
  • Bett – bed
  • Stühle – chairs (plural)
  • kein/keine/keinen – no/none (negation)
  • drei – three (quantity)

Important Notes on Language Differences and Useful Expressions

In English, "there is" and "there are" are used to express existence, while German uses the phrase "Es gibt" regardless of singular or plural context. Another difference is that German requires the noun following "Es gibt" to be in the accusative case, which often changes the article form, especially for masculine nouns. For example, "a chair" changes from ein Stuhl (nominative) to einen Stuhl (accusative) after "Es gibt." This is a key grammatical point for learners to master.

Useful phrases:

  • Es gibt einen schönen Garten. – There is a beautiful garden.
  • Es gibt keine Probleme. – There are no problems.
  • In der Stadt gibt es viele Restaurants. – There are many restaurants in the city.

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 15:31