Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Master the German accusative case with key nouns and articles: learn how masculine articles change to 'den' and 'einen', while feminine, neuter, and plural forms like 'die', 'das', and 'die' stay the same, enhancing your sentence-building skills.
  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.)

Overview of Nouns and the Accusative Case in German

This lesson focuses on German nouns and their articles in the accusative case, which is essential for identifying the direct object in a sentence—the person or thing that is acted upon.

Understanding the Accusative Case

The accusative case answers the questions Wen? (Whom?) for people and Was? (What?) for objects or abstract concepts. It highlights the receiver of an action in a sentence, for example, in Ich sehe den Brief. (I see the letter.), den Brief is the direct object marked by accusative case.

Article Changes by Gender and Number

German articles change in the accusative depending on the noun's gender and number. Here is a summary:

  • Masculine: The definite article der changes to den, and the indefinite article ein changes to einen. Example: Ich sehe den (einen) Brief.
  • Feminine: Both definite die and indefinite eine articles remain unchanged. Example: Ich sehe die (eine) Straße.
  • Neuter: Articles das and ein also stay the same. Example: Ich sehe das (ein) Handy.
  • Plural: The definite article die remains, but there is no indefinite article in the plural. Example: Ich sehe (die) Briefe/Straßen/Handys.

Key Vocabulary and Examples

  • Brief (letter) – masculine
  • Straße (street) – feminine
  • Handy (mobile phone) – neuter
  • den Brief, die Straße, das Handy

Important Notes on Language Differences

Unlike English, where articles do not change with case, German articles adapt to reflect the grammatical function in a sentence. This often results in changes especially in masculine singular forms in accusative. For example, the English sentence "I see a ball" uses the same article "a" regardless of case, but in German, it is Ich sehe einen Ball with einen marking accusative.

Useful phrases for practice include:

  • Ich sehe den Brief. (I see the letter.)
  • Kannst du die Adresse bitte wiederholen? (Can you please repeat the address?)
  • Ich habe einen Laptop gekauft. (I bought a laptop.)
Practice recognizing these articles and their changes will improve understanding of direct object roles in German sentences.

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Sophie Schmidt

International Administration Management

Würzburger Dolmetscherschule

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 13:16