German Accusative Case: When and How to Use It (With Exercises)

The German accusative case (der Akkusativ) is one of the first grammar hurdles every learner faces — and one of the most important to get right. It marks the direct object in a sentence, appears after certain prepositions, and changes the articles you have already memorized. The good news? The accusative is actually the easiest of the four German cases to learn because only one article changes.

This guide covers everything you need: article changes, pronouns, prepositions, common verbs, and practice exercises to lock it all in.

When Do You Use Accusative in German?

The accusative case answers the questions Wen? (Whom?) and Was? (What?). You use it in three main situations:

1. Direct Objects

The most common use of the accusative is to mark the direct object — the person or thing that directly receives the action of the verb.

Ich kaufe den Kuchen. (I buy the cake.) Sie liest ein Buch. (She reads a book.) Wir sehen den Film. (We watch the film.)

To find the direct object, ask: What is being bought, read, or watched? The answer is always in the accusative.

2. After Accusative Prepositions

Five prepositions always require the accusative case (more on these below).

3. After Two-Way Prepositions Showing Movement

Nine prepositions (an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen) take the accusative when they describe movement toward something. For a deep dive into all preposition types, see our German prepositions guide.

Ich gehe in die Schule. (I go into the school.) — accusative, movement Ich bin in der Schule. (I am in the school.) — dative, location

How Do Articles Change in the Accusative?

Here is the best news about the accusative: only the masculine article changes. Feminine, neuter, and plural articles stay exactly the same as in the nominative.

Definite Articles (der/die/das)

Indefinite Articles (ein/eine)

So the only change you need to memorize is:

• der becomes den
• ein becomes einen

Everything else stays the same. If you want a printable reference for all four cases, check out our German articles chart.

Practice spotting these changes in real time with Article Blitz — our fast-paced game that drills der, die, and das in every case.

What Is the Difference Between Nominative and Accusative?

This is one of the most common questions learners ask. The difference comes down to the role each noun plays in the sentence:

• Nominative = the subject (who or what performs the action)
• Accusative = the direct object (who or what receives the action)

Compare these two sentences:

Der Hund beißt den Mann. (The dog bites the man.) Den Hund beißt der Mann. (The man bites the dog.)

In both sentences, the articles tell you who is doing the biting. Der (nominative) marks the subject, and den (accusative) marks the direct object — regardless of word order. This is exactly why cases matter in German: they keep the meaning clear even when the word order changes.

For a full comparison of all four cases, read our German cases explained guide.

Accusative Pronouns: Mich, Dich, Ihn, Sie, Es

Just like articles, personal pronouns change form in the accusative. English does the same thing ("I" becomes "me", "he" becomes "him"), so the concept should feel familiar.

Examples in action:

Er sieht mich. (He sees me.) Ich liebe dich. (I love you.) Wir besuchen sie. (We visit them.) Kennst du ihn? (Do you know him?)

Notice that sie, es, and the formal Sie do not change between nominative and accusative — another shortcut to remember.

The 5 Accusative Prepositions: Durch, Für, Gegen, Ohne, Um

These five prepositions always take the accusative, no exceptions. A popular mnemonic is DOGFU (durch, ohne, gegen, für, um).

Whenever you see one of these five prepositions, put the following noun into the accusative — every single time. For more on prepositions across all cases, see our prepositions guide.

Common Accusative Verbs

Most transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) use the accusative. Here are some of the most common ones you will encounter early on:

A helpful rule of thumb: if the verb answers "what?" or "whom?", the object is almost certainly accusative.

Build speed with accusative vocabulary by playing Type Rush, where you type German words against the clock.

Practice Exercises

Put your knowledge to the test. Choose the correct article or pronoun for each sentence.

Exercise 1: Fill in the correct definite article.

1. Ich sehe ___ Hund. (der/den)
2. Sie kauft ___ Tasche. (die/den)
3. Wir lesen ___ Buch. (das/den)
4. Er trinkt ___ Kaffee. (der/den)
5. Ich kenne ___ Frau. (die/den)

Exercise 2: Fill in the correct accusative pronoun.

1. Liebst du ___? (I → me)
2. Ich besuche ___ morgen. (he → him)
3. Kennst du ___? (we → us)
4. Sie sieht ___ nicht. (you informal → you)
5. Wir brauchen ___. (it → it)

Exercise 3: Translate into German (use the accusative).

1. I have a dog. → ___
2. She is buying the dress. → ___
3. We walk through the park. → ___
4. That is for my mother. → ___
5. Do you know him? → ___

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Answers:

Exercise 1: 1. den 2. die 3. das 4. den 5. die

Exercise 2: 1. mich 2. ihn 3. uns 4. dich 5. es

Exercise 3: 1. Ich habe einen Hund. 2. Sie kauft das Kleid. 3. Wir gehen durch den Park. 4. Das ist für meine Mutter. 5. Kennst du ihn?

Keep Practicing the Accusative Case

Understanding the German accusative case in theory is the first step. Real fluency comes from repeated practice until picking the right article feels automatic. Here is how to keep building your skills:

• Drill articles under pressure with Article Blitz — practice choosing der, die, or das in all four cases
• Build typing speed with German words in Type Rush
• Test your grammar knowledge with our grammar quizzes
• Practice articles specifically with our article quizzes
• Learn all four cases in our complete German cases explained guide

For practice on the go, download the Deutschwunder app and master German cases, articles, and grammar anywhere.

Viel Erfolg! (Good luck!)

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More on Deutschwunder: German cases explained simply · German prepositions guide · German articles chart for all cases · German der die das rules