Nominativ und Akkusativ
Learn to identify and correctly decline subjects and direct objects in German sentences.
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The man looks for the dog.
A complete sentence demonstrating both cases: 'Der Mann' is the masculine subject in the nominative case, while 'den Hund' is the masculine direct object changed to the accusative case.
Der Mann sucht den Hund schon den ganzen Nachmittag im Park.
The man has been looking for the dog in the park all afternoon.
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The woman buys the bag.
This sentence contains a feminine subject ('Die Frau') and a feminine direct object ('die Tasche'). Notice that feminine articles look identical in both the nominative and accusative cases.
Die Frau kauft die Tasche, obwohl sie eigentlich viel zu teuer ist.
The woman is buying the bag even though it is actually way too expensive.
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The child sees the horse.
A sentence featuring a neuter subject ('Das Kind') and a neuter direct object ('das Pferd'). Neuter articles remain unchanged between the nominative and accusative cases.
Das Kind sieht das Pferd auf der Koppel und läuft sofort zum Zaun.
The child sees the horse in the paddock and immediately runs to the fence.
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A man has a table.
Features indefinite masculine articles. The subject uses nominative 'ein Mann', while the direct object of the verb 'haben' changes to the accusative 'einen Tisch'.
Ein Mann hat einen Tisch auf der Straße abgestellt, falls ihn jemand gebrauchen kann.
A man left a table out on the street in case anyone can use it.
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A woman needs a lamp.
Shows indefinite feminine articles where the nominative subject ('Eine Frau') and the accusative direct object ('eine Lampe') keep the same form.
Eine Frau braucht eine Lampe für ihren neuen Schreibtisch im Homeoffice.
A woman needs a lamp for her new desk in her home office.
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A child reads a book.
Demonstrates indefinite neuter articles. Both the nominative subject ('Ein Kind') and the accusative direct object ('ein Buch') utilize the unchanged article 'ein'.
Mitten im Trubel im Café sitzt ein Kind und liest ein Buch.
In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the café, a child is sitting and reading a book.
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I drink the coffee.
A sentence where the subject is a personal pronoun ('Ich') and the direct object is masculine, triggering the accusative article change from 'der' to 'den Kaffee'.
Ich trinke den Kaffee jetzt kalt, weil ich das Meeting total vergessen habe.
I'm drinking the coffee cold now because I completely forgot about the meeting.
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You eat the apple.
The pronoun 'Du' acts as the nominative subject. The verb 'essen' requires a direct object, turning masculine 'der Apfel' into the accusative 'den Apfel'.
Du isst den Apfel hoffentlich nicht mit den Kernen, oder?
You're hopefully not eating the apple with the seeds, right?
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He repairs the car.
The masculine pronoun 'Er' is the subject. The direct object is neuter ('das Auto'), so the article stays 'das' in the accusative case.
Er repariert das Auto heute selbst, um sich die teure Werkstatt zu sparen.
He is repairing the car himself today to save money on the expensive garage.
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She bakes a cake.
The pronoun 'Sie' serves as the subject. The direct object is masculine, which means the indefinite article changes to the accusative 'einen Kuchen'.
Sie backt einen Kuchen für die Party, obwohl sie eigentlich gar keine Zeit hat.
She is baking a cake for the party even though she doesn't really have any time.
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We order a salad.
A sentence where the plural pronoun 'Wir' is the nominative subject. The direct object is masculine, which triggers the accusative indefinite article ending '-en' on 'einen Salat'.
Wir bestellen einen Salat zum Teilen, weil die Portionen hier riesig sind.
We are ordering a salad to share because the portions here are huge.
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You rent an apartment.
A sentence featuring the second-person plural subject 'Ihr'. The direct object is feminine ('eine Wohnung'), meaning the indefinite article remains unchanged in the accusative case.
Ihr mietet eine Wohnung mitten in der Stadt? Das wird bestimmt teuer.
You are renting an apartment right in the city center? That's bound to be expensive.
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They/You visit the grandfather.
Depending on capitalization context, 'Sie' serves as the nominative subject (they or formal you). The masculine direct object of 'besuchen' shifts from 'der' to the accusative 'den Großvater'.
Sie besuchen den Großvater jeden Sonntag im Pflegeheim.
They visit their grandfather every Sunday at the nursing home.
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The teacher corrects the mistake.
A sentence showcasing two masculine nouns. 'Der Lehrer' is the nominative subject, while 'den Fehler' is the accusative direct object showing the characteristic modification of the masculine definite article.
Der Lehrer korrigiert den Fehler auf der Tafel, bevor es jemand merkt.
The teacher corrects the mistake on the board before anyone notices.
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The cook cuts the vegetables.
This pattern has a masculine subject ('Der Koch') and a neuter direct object ('das Gemüse'). The neuter article 'das' is identical in both the nominative and accusative forms.
Der Koch schneidet das Gemüse unglaublich schnell in hauchdünne Streifen.
The cook cuts the vegetables incredibly fast into paper-thin strips.
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The cat catches the mouse.
A sentence composed entirely of feminine components. Both the subject ('Die Katze') and the direct object ('die Maus') use the same form since feminine inflections don't alter between nominative and accusative.
Die Katze fängt die Maus draußen im Garten und bringt sie stolz ins Haus.
The cat catches the mouse outside in the garden and proudly brings it into the house.
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The waiter brings the wine.
Both components are masculine nouns. 'Der Kellner' functions as the subject pulling the action, and 'den Wein' functions as the target direct object shifted into the accusative case.
Der Kellner bringt den Wein erst, wenn das Hauptgericht serviert wird.
The waiter only brings the wine when the main course is being served.
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The doctor examines the patient.
This sentence contains a masculine subject and a weak masculine noun as a direct object. 'Den Patienten' demonstrates both the accusative definite article and the standard N-declension suffix required for this class of nouns.
Der Arzt untersucht den Patienten gründlich, um die Ursache zu finden.
The doctor examines the patient thoroughly to find the root cause.
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I own a computer.
The personal pronoun 'Ich' acts as the subject. The transitive verb 'besitzen' rules over a direct object, which shifts the masculine item 'ein Computer' into its accusative structure 'einen Computer'.
Ich besitze einen Computer, der schon über sieben Jahre alt ist.
I own a computer that is already over seven years old.
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We listen to a song.
A sentence showing the pronoun 'Wir' as the subject. The loanword 'Song' is masculine in German, so the indefinite direct object article takes the accusative form 'einen'.
Wir hören einen Song im Radio, dessen Namen ich mir einfach nicht merken kann.
We are listening to a song on the radio whose name I just can't seem to remember.
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Do you have the key?
A question where the pronoun 'du' is the nominative subject. The transitive verb 'haben' requires an accusative direct object, shifting masculine 'der Schlüssel' to 'den Schlüssel'.
Hast du den Schlüssel für das Auto eingepackt oder liegt er noch im Flur?
Did you pack the car key, or is it still lying in the hallway?
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He is wearing a coat.
The pronoun 'Er' acts as the subject in the nominative case. The direct object of 'tragen' is masculine, turning the indefinite article into the accusative form 'einen Mantel'.
Er trägt einen Mantel, obwohl es draußen eigentlich ziemlich warm geworden ist.
He is wearing a coat even though it has actually become quite warm outside.
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She cleans the window.
A sentence featuring the pronoun 'Sie' as the subject. The direct object is neuter ('das Fenster'), which means its definite article stays identical in both nominative and accusative cases.
Sie putzt das Fenster im Wohnzimmer, weil man kaum noch durchgucken kann.
She is cleaning the living room window because you can barely see through it anymore.
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The dog bites the ball.
This structure contains two masculine nouns. 'Der Hund' is the subject triggering the action, while 'den Ball' is the direct object modified into the accusative case.
Der Hund beißt den Ball so fest, dass die Luft sofort rausgeht.
The dog bites the ball so hard that the air comes out immediately.
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The baker makes the bread.
A sentence showing a masculine subject ('Der Bäcker') and a neuter direct object ('das Brot'). Neuter inflections do not change when moving from the nominative to the accusative.
Der Bäcker macht das Brot noch ganz traditionell nach altem Familienrezept.
The baker still makes the bread quite traditionally according to an old family recipe.
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We understand the sentence.
The plural personal pronoun 'Wir' functions as the subject. The target of the verb 'verstehen' is the masculine noun 'der Satz', requiring the accusative form 'den Satz'.
Wir verstehen den Satz zwar grammatikalisch, aber die Bedeutung ist uns unklar.
We understand the sentence grammatically, sure, but the meaning is unclear to us.
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I know the way.
The pronoun 'Ich' is the subject. The verb 'kennen' rules over a direct object, changing the masculine 'der Weg' into its accusative counterpart 'den Weg'.
Ich kenne den Weg durch den Wald in- und auswendig, vertrau mir einfach.
I know the way through the forest inside out, just trust me.
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The student writes an essay.
The masculine noun 'Der Student' is the subject in the nominative case. The direct object is also masculine, which forces the indefinite article to take the accusative ending '-en' in 'einen Aufsatz'.
Der Student schreibt einen Aufsatz über die Geschichte der Berliner Mauer.
The student is writing an essay about the history of the Berlin Wall.
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The tourist photographs the cathedral.
A sentence with a feminine subject ('Die Touristin') and a masculine direct object ('den Dom'). The masculine definite article switches from 'der' to 'den' to mark the accusative case.
Die Touristin fotografiert den Dom aus verschiedenen Winkeln, um das perfekte Bild zu kriegen.
The tourist is photographing the cathedral from different angles to get the perfect picture.
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He builds a house.
The masculine pronoun 'Er' acts as the subject. The direct object is neuter, so the indefinite article remains 'ein Haus' in the accusative case without adding an ending.
Er baut ein Haus für seine Familie direkt am Rande der Stadt.
He is building a house for his family right on the edge of town.
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She opens the door.
A sentence showing the pronoun 'Sie' as the nominative subject. The direct object is feminine ('die Tür'), meaning the definite article retains its identical form in the accusative case.
Sie öffnet die Tür ganz leise, um das schlafende Baby nicht aufzuwecken.
She opens the door very quietly so as not to wake the sleeping baby.
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I close the closet.
The personal pronoun 'Ich' functions as the subject. The direct object of the action is masculine, which triggers the accusative case modification from 'der Schrank' to 'den Schrank'.
Ich schließe den Schrank lieber, bevor die Katze wieder hineinklettert.
I'd better close the closet before the cat climbs inside again.
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The baby needs the pacifier.
This sentence contains a neuter subject ('Das Baby') and a masculine direct object ('den Schnuller'). The masculine noun shifts into the accusative case because it is governed by the transitive verb 'brauchen'.
Das Baby braucht den Schnuller eigentlich nur noch zum Einschlafen.
The baby actually only needs the pacifier to fall asleep nowadays.
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He loves the summer.
The pronoun 'Er' acts as the nominative subject. Because seasons are masculine in German, the direct object of 'lieben' changes to the accusative form 'den Sommer'.
Er liebt den Sommer, weil er dann das ganze Wochenende am See verbringen kann.
He loves the summer because he can spend the entire weekend at the lake then.
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We hate the rain.
The plural pronoun 'Wir' serves as the subject. The noun 'Regen' is masculine, forcing the definite article to take the accusative direct object form 'den'.
Wir hassen den Regen im Urlaub, aber für die Natur ist er im Moment bitter nötig.
We hate the rain while on vacation, but it is desperately needed for nature right now.
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The boy throws the ball.
A sentence featuring a weak masculine noun as the subject ('Der Junge') and a standard masculine noun as the direct object ('den Ball'), which takes the accusative marker.
Der Junge wirft den Ball so weit er kann über die Wiese.
The boy throws the ball as far as he can across the meadow.
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The girl combs the hair.
This clause has a neuter subject ('Das Mädchen') and a neuter direct object ('das Haar'). Neuter definite articles are identical in both the nominative and accusative cases.
Das Mädchen kämmt das Haar geduldig vor dem großen Spiegel im Badezimmer.
The girl patiently combs her hair in front of the large mirror in the bathroom.
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The gardener waters the flowers.
Features a masculine subject ('Der Gärtner') and a plural direct object ('die Blumen'). Plural articles do not change their shape when moving from the nominative to the accusative case.
Der Gärtner gießt die Blumen erst spät abends, wenn es kühler geworden ist.
The gardener only waters the flowers late in the evening when it has become cooler.
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I buy a new television.
A sentence where the direct object is masculine ('der Fernseher'). In the accusative case, both the indefinite article ('einen') and the preceding adjective ('neuen') must take the masculine accusative ending '-en'.
Ich kaufe einen neuen Fernseher, weil der alte gestern plötzlich den Geist aufgegeben hat.
I am buying a new television because the old one suddenly gave up the ghost yesterday.
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You take the bus.
The pronoun 'Du' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Bus' serves as the direct object of the verb 'nehmen', switching the article from 'der' to the accusative 'den'.
Du nimmst den Bus am besten direkt vom Hauptbahnhof, das geht viel schneller.
You'd best take the bus straight from the main station; that is much faster.
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He drives the motorcycle.
The masculine pronoun 'Er' acts as the nominative subject. The direct object is neuter ('das Motorrad'), meaning the definite article remains unchanged in the accusative case.
Er fährt das Motorrad nur am Wochenende, wenn das Wetter absolut perfekt ist.
He only rides the motorcycle on weekends when the weather is absolutely perfect.
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She learns the grammar.
Features the pronoun 'Sie' as the subject. The direct object is feminine ('die Grammatik'), so the article stays identical between the nominative and accusative forms.
Sie lernt die Grammatik am besten, indem sie jeden Tag kurze Sätze aufschreibt.
She learns grammar best by writing down short sentences every day.
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We call the doctor.
The plural personal pronoun 'Wir' serves as the subject. The target of the transitive verb 'rufen' is masculine, turning 'der Arzt' into the accusative 'den Arzt'.
Wir rufen den Arzt lieber sofort an, weil sein Zustand sich verschlimmert hat.
We'd better call the doctor immediately because his condition has worsened.
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You meet the boss.
Features the second-person plural subject 'Ihr'. The masculine noun 'Chef' functions as the direct object of 'treffen', changing the article to the accusative 'den'.
Ihr trefft den Chef heute Nachmittag im großen Konferenzraum, richtig?
You are meeting the boss this afternoon in the large conference room, right?
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They/You repair the printer.
The pronoun 'Sie' (they or formal you) is the nominative subject. The direct object is masculine, forcing the definite article to take the accusative modifier in 'den Drucker'.
Sie reparieren den Drucker jetzt schon seit einer Stunde, aber er geht immer noch nicht.
They have been repairing the printer for an hour now, but it still doesn't work.
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I forget the appointment.
The personal pronoun 'Ich' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Termin' serves as the direct object of 'vergessen', shifting the article from 'der' to the accusative 'den'.
Ich vergesse den Termin ständig, wenn ich ihn mir nicht direkt in den Kalender eintrage.
I constantly forget the appointment if I don't enter it directly into my calendar.
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The father pays for the juice.
A sentence containing two masculine nouns. 'Der Vater' is the nominative subject, while 'den Saft' is the accusative direct object showing the characteristic modification of the masculine definite article.
Der Vater bezahlt den Saft für die Kinder an der Supermarktkasse.
The father pays for the juice for the children at the supermarket checkout.
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The mother cooks the soup.
A sentence composed entirely of feminine components. Both the subject ('Die Mutter') and the direct object ('die Suppe') use the same form since feminine inflections don't alter between nominative and accusative.
Die Mutter kocht die Suppe immer nach einem uralten Familienrezept.
The mother always cooks the soup according to an ancient family recipe.
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He loses the passport.
The pronoun 'Er' functions as the subject. The masculine noun 'Pass' serves as the direct object of 'verlieren', switching the article to the accusative 'den'.
Er verliert den Pass bestimmt noch auf dieser Reise, er ist so unordentlich.
He is bound to lose his passport on this trip; he is so untidy.
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She finds a ring.
The pronoun 'Sie' acts as the nominative subject. The direct object is masculine, which triggers the accusative indefinite article ending '-en' on 'einen Ring'.
Sie findet einen Ring im Sand und fragt überall nach dem Besitzer.
She finds a ring in the sand and asks around everywhere for the owner.
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I carry the backpack.
A sentence showing the singular personal pronoun 'Ich' as the nominative subject. The direct object is masculine, triggering the accusative article change from 'der Rucksack' to 'den Rucksack'.
Ich trage den Rucksack die ganze Zeit, weil er für dich viel zu schwer ist.
I'll carry the backpack the whole time because it is way too heavy for you.
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You draw a circle.
The pronoun 'Du' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Kreis' serves as the direct object of 'zeichnen', requiring the indefinite accusative ending '-en' in 'einen Kreis'.
Du zeichnest einen Kreis auf das Blatt, um die Mitte der Skizze zu markieren.
You draw a circle on the paper to mark the center of the sketch.
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He signs the contract.
The pronoun 'Er' functions as the nominative subject. Since 'Vertrag' is masculine, the direct object of the transitive verb 'unterschreiben' takes the accusative form 'den'.
Er unterschreibt den Vertrag erst, wenn sein Anwalt alles genau geprüft hat.
He will only sign the contract once his lawyer has reviewed everything thoroughly.
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She changes the tire.
Features 'Sie' as the subject. The direct object is masculine ('der Reifen'), meaning the definite article shifts to the accusative form 'den' under the action of the verb.
Sie wechselt den Reifen am Auto mittlerweile ganz ohne fremde Hilfe.
She changes the tire on the car completely without any outside help now.
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We reserve a table.
The plural pronoun 'Wir' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Tisch' is the direct object of 'reservieren', forcing the indefinite article into the accusative 'einen'.
Wir reservieren einen Tisch beim Italiener, sonst kriegen wir am Samstagabend keinen Platz.
We are reserving a table at the Italian restaurant, otherwise we won't get a seat on Saturday night.
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You clean the bathroom.
A sentence featuring the second-person plural subject 'Ihr'. The direct object is neuter ('das Bad'), so its definite article stays identical in both the nominative and accusative cases.
Ihr reinigt das Bad heute und ich kümmere mich dafür um das Wohnzimmer.
You clean the bathroom today, and I'll take care of the living room in return.
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They/You welcome the guest.
The pronoun 'Sie' serves as the nominative subject. The masculine direct object of 'begrüßen' switches from 'der' to the accusative 'den Gast' to indicate who receives the action.
Sie begrüßen den Gast direkt an der Tür mit einem Glas Sekt.
They welcome the guest right at the door with a glass of sparkling wine.
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The wind moves the leaves.
A sentence showing a masculine subject ('Der Wind') and a plural direct object ('die Blätter'). Plural articles do not change form between the nominative and accusative cases.
Der Wind bewegt die Blätter so sanft, dass es ein beruhigendes Geräusch macht.
The wind moves the leaves so gently that it makes a soothing sound.
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The painter paints the wall.
Features a masculine subject ('Der Maler') and a feminine direct object ('die Wand'). The feminine definite article 'die' remains unchanged in the accusative case.
Der Maler streicht die Wand ein zweites Mal, damit die Farbe richtig deckt.
The painter is painting the wall a second time so that the color covers properly.
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I don't smoke any aspect.
An abstract grammatical phrase showing the personal pronoun 'Ich' as the subject. The direct object is masculine ('der Aspekt'), which triggers the accusative negative article ending '-en' on 'keinen'.
Ich rauche keinen Aspekt dieser Diskussion, das Thema ist mir zu absurd.
I don't buy into any aspect of this discussion; the topic is too absurd to me.
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We donate an amount.
A sentence featuring the plural personal pronoun 'Wir' as the subject. The direct object is masculine ('der Betrag'), which requires the indefinite article to take the accusative ending '-en' in 'einen Betrag'.
Wir spenden jedes Jahr einen kleinen Betrag an das örtliche Tierheim.
Every year we donate a small amount to the local animal shelter.
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Do you have a euro?
A question where the pronoun 'du' acts as the nominative subject. Because currencies like 'Euro' are masculine in German, the direct object of 'haben' takes the accusative form 'einen Euro'.
Hast du einen Euro für den Einkaufswagen oder soll ich in der Geldbörse nachsehen?
Do you have a euro for the shopping cart or should I look in my wallet?
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He asks for the advice.
A sentence showing the prepositional accusative object. The fixed preposition 'um' always governs the accusative case, shifting masculine 'der Rat' to 'den Rat'.
Er bittet um den Rat seines Vaters, bevor er eine so wichtige Entscheidung trifft.
He asks for his father's advice before making such an important decision.
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She quits the job.
The pronoun 'Sie' functions as the subject. The masculine noun 'Job' serves as the direct object of 'kündigen', changing the definite article to the accusative form 'den'.
Sie kündigt den Job, weil sie einfach keine Lust mehr auf die ständigen Überstunden hat.
She is quitting the job because she simply has no desire for the constant overtime anymore.
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I plan the vacation.
The personal pronoun 'Ich' is the subject in the nominative case. The direct object is masculine, which triggers the accusative definite article change from 'der Urlaub' to 'den Urlaub'.
Ich plane den Urlaub diesmal komplett alleine, damit es eine Überraschung wird.
I am planning the vacation completely on my own this time so that it will be a surprise.
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You pack the suitcase.
The pronoun 'Du' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Koffer' is the direct object of the verb 'packen', forcing the article into the accusative 'den'.
Du packst den Koffer viel zu voll, wir müssen doch fliegen!
You are packing the suitcase way too full, we have to fly after all!
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He grills the meat.
Features the pronoun 'Er' as the nominative subject. The direct object is neuter ('das Fleisch'), so the definite article remains identical to its nominative form.
Er grillt das Fleisch immer extrem auf den Punkt, es schmeckt herrlich.
He always grills the meat perfectly to a T; it tastes wonderful.
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She cuts the cheese.
The pronoun 'Sie' serves as the subject. The target of the transitive verb 'schneiden' is masculine, turning 'der Käse' into the accusative 'den Käse'.
Sie schneidet den Käse in dünne Scheiben für das Abendbrot.
She cuts the cheese into thin slices for dinner.
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We peel the potato.
A sentence with the plural pronoun 'Wir' as the subject and a feminine direct object ('die Kartoffel'). Feminine definite articles do not change shape between nominative and accusative.
Wir schälen die Kartoffel lieber, bevor wir sie in den Eintopf werfen.
We prefer to peel the potato before throwing it into the stew.
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I rinse/wash the glass.
The pronoun 'Ich' acts as the subject. The direct object is neuter, meaning the article stays 'das Glas' in the accusative case without any modifications.
Ich spüle das Glas nur kurz aus, da war ja nur Wasser drin.
I'll just rinse the glass quickly since there was only water in it.
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You wash the shirt.
A sentence showing the singular personal pronoun 'du' as the subject. The direct object is neuter ('das Hemd'), meaning the definite article stays identical in both the nominative and accusative cases.
Du wäschst das Hemd aber hoffentlich nicht zu heiß, sonst läuft es ein.
You are hopefully not washing the shirt too hot, otherwise it will shrink.
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He irons the pants.
The pronoun 'Er' serves as the nominative subject. The direct object is feminine ('die Hose'), which means its article remains unchanged in the accusative case.
Er bügelt die Hose extra ordentlich für das morgige Vorstellungsgespräch.
He is ironing the pants extra neatly for tomorrow's job interview.
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She looks for a job.
A sentence featuring 'Sie' as the subject. The direct object is feminine ('eine Stelle'), meaning the indefinite article retains its standard form in the accusative case.
Sie sucht eine Stelle im Marketing, bei der sie auch im Homeoffice arbeiten kann.
She is looking for a job in marketing where she can also work from home.
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We expect the visit/company.
The plural personal pronoun 'Wir' functions as the subject. The target of the verb 'erwarten' is the masculine noun 'Besuch', requiring the accusative form 'den'.
Wir erwarten den Besuch schon am frühen Nachmittag, also müssen wir uns beeilen.
We are expecting the company in the early afternoon already, so we have to hurry.
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You charge the battery.
Features the second-person plural subject 'Ihr'. The masculine noun 'Akku' serves as the direct object of 'laden', switching the definite article to the accusative 'den'.
Ihr ladet den Akku am besten ganz auf, bevor ihr das Haus verlasst.
You'd best charge the battery completely before you leave the house.
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They/You turn on the stove.
A sentence where 'Sie' acts as the nominative subject. The direct object is masculine, triggering the accusative case modification from 'der Herd' to 'den Herd' under the action of the separable verb 'einschalten'.
Sie schalten den Herd ein, vergessen aber völlig, das Öl in die Pfanne zu tun.
They turn on the stove but completely forget to put the oil into the pan.
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I press the button.
The personal pronoun 'Ich' is the subject. The masculine noun 'Knopf' serves as the direct object of the verb 'drücken', shifting the article from 'der' to the accusative 'den'.
Ich drücke den Knopf jetzt schon zum dritten Mal, aber der Aufzug kommt einfach nicht.
I'm pressing the button for the third time now, but the elevator simply isn't coming.
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You pull the plug.
The pronoun 'du' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Stecker' is the direct object of 'ziehen', forcing the definite article into the accusative form 'den'.
Du ziehst den Stecker am besten aus der Steckdose, bevor du das Gerät reinigst.
You'd best pull the plug out of the outlet before you clean the device.
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He reads the text.
The pronoun 'Er' functions as the subject. Since 'Text' is masculine, the direct object of the transitive verb 'lesen' takes the accusative form 'den'.
Er liest den Text mehrmals durch, versteht aber trotzdem nur Bahnhof.
He reads through the text several times but still doesn't understand a single word.
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She learns the vocabulary words.
Features the pronoun 'Sie' as the nominative subject. The direct object is plural ('die Vokabeln'), so its definite article remains identical to its nominative form.
Sie lernt die Vokabeln abends im Bett, weil sie sich dann alles besser merken kann.
She learns the vocabulary words in bed at night because she can remember everything better then.
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We hear the noise.
A sentence featuring the plural personal pronoun 'Wir' as the nominative subject. The direct object is masculine ('der Lärm'), which shifts to the accusative form 'den Lärm' when governed by the transitive verb 'hören'.
Wir hören den Lärm von der Baustelle nebenan sogar bei geschlossenen Fenstern.
We hear the noise from the construction site next door even with the windows closed.
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You see the smoke.
A sentence using the second-person plural subject 'Ihr'. The masculine noun 'Rauch' acts as the direct object, causing the definite article to switch from 'der' to the accusative 'den'.
Ihr seht den Rauch dort hinten am Horizont bestimmt auch, oder?
You guys see the smoke back there on the horizon too, right?
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They/You smell the coffee.
The personal pronoun 'Sie' serves as the subject. The target of the sensory verb 'riechen' is the masculine noun 'der Kaffee', which correctly takes the accusative form 'den'.
Sie riechen den Kaffee schon im Treppenhaus und kriegen sofort bessere Laune.
They smell the coffee already in the stairwell and instantly get into a better mood.
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I taste the pepper.
The pronoun 'Ich' acts as the subject in the nominative case. The direct object is masculine, triggering the accusative definite article modification in 'den Pfeffer'.
Ich schmecke den Pfeffer in der Suppe total stark heraus, hast du dich vermessen?
I taste the pepper in the soup really strongly; did your hand slip when measuring?
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The thief steals the jewelry.
A sentence comprising two masculine nouns. 'Der Dieb' functions as the nominative subject, while 'den Schmuck' undergoes the accusative shift as the direct object of 'stehlen'.
Der Dieb stiehlt den Schmuck unbemerkt, während die Verkäuferin abgelenkt ist.
The thief steals the jewelry unnoticed while the shop assistant is distracted.
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The police search for the culprit.
Features a feminine subject ('Die Polizei'). The direct object is masculine ('der Täter'), meaning its definite article changes to 'den' in the accusative case.
Die Polizei sucht den Täter mit Hochdruck im gesamten Stadtgebiet.
The police are searching for the culprit with high intensity throughout the entire city area.
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The lawyer represents the client.
This sentence displays a masculine subject and a weak masculine noun as a direct object. 'Den Mandanten' demonstrates both the accusative definite article and the obligatory N-declension ending required for this class of weak nouns.
Der Anwalt vertritt den Mandanten schon seit Beginn des komplexen Prozesses.
The lawyer has been representing the client since the beginning of the complex trial.
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I answer the question.
The pronoun 'Ich' acts as the subject. The direct object is feminine ('die Frage'), so its definite article remains unchanged between the nominative and accusative forms.
Ich beantworte die Frage gerne ausführlicher, sobald ich die Daten vorliegen habe.
I will gladly answer the question in more detail as soon as I have the data available.
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You pass the test.
The pronoun 'du' functions as the nominative subject. The masculine noun 'Test' is the direct object governed by 'bestehen', forcing the article into the accusative 'den'.
Du bestehst den Test ganz sicher, du hast schließlich wochenlang gelernt.
You will pass the test for sure; after all, you have been studying for weeks.
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He wins the prize.
The masculine pronoun 'Er' operates as the subject. Since 'Preis' is masculine, the direct object takes the accusative form 'den Preis'.
Er gewinnt den Preis nun schon zum zweiten Mal in Folge für seine Kurzgeschichte.
He is winning the prize for his short story for the second time in a row now.
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She misses the train.
A sentence featuring the pronoun 'Sie' as the nominative subject. The transitive verb 'verpassen' requires an object in the accusative case, shifting the masculine 'der Zug' to 'den Zug'.
Wenn sie sich jetzt nicht beeilt, verpasst sie den Zug nach Frankfurt.
If she doesn't hurry up now, she will miss the train to Frankfurt.
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We book the flight.
The plural personal pronoun 'Wir' acts as the nominative subject. The direct object 'Flug' is masculine, which triggers the accusative definite article change from 'der' to 'den'.
Wir buchen den Flug lieber schon heute, bevor die Preise wieder steigen.
We'd better book the flight today before the prices go up again.
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You leave the room.
A sentence using the second-person plural subject 'Ihr'. The masculine noun 'Raum' serves as the direct object of the verb 'verlassen', changing the article to the accusative 'den'.
Ihr verlasst den Raum bitte erst, wenn ihr mit den Aufgaben komplett fertig seid.
Please do not leave the room until you are completely finished with the tasks.
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They/You enter the garden.
The pronoun 'Sie' serves as the subject. The target of the transitive verb 'betreten' is masculine, turning 'der Garten' into the accusative direct object 'den Garten'.
Seien Sie vorsichtig, wenn Sie den Garten betreten, der Rasen ist frisch gesät.
Be careful when you enter the garden; the lawn is freshly seeded.
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I open the letter.
The personal pronoun 'Ich' functions as the subject. The direct object is masculine, which forces the definite article to take the accusative modifier in 'den Brief'.
Ich öffne den Brief mit leicht zitternden Händen, weil ich auf das Ergebnis warte.
I open the letter with slightly trembling hands because I'm waiting for the result.
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You read the newspaper.
The pronoun 'du' acts as the subject in the nominative case. The direct object is feminine ('die Zeitung'), meaning the definite article keeps its identical form in the accusative case.
Du liest die Zeitung doch eh nicht, kann ich mir den Sportteil nehmen?
You're not reading the newspaper anyway, can I take the sports section?
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He watches a movie.
The masculine pronoun 'Er' acts as the subject. The direct object of 'schauen' is masculine, turning the indefinite article into the accusative form 'einen Film'.
Er schaut einen Film im Kino, den er schon seit Monaten sehen wollte.
He is watching a movie at the cinema that he has wanted to see for months.
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She listens to an audiobook.
Features the pronoun 'Sie' as the subject. The direct object is neuter, so the indefinite article remains 'ein Hörbuch' in the accusative case without adding an ending.
Sie hört ein Hörbuch beim Kochen, um sich ein bisschen abzulenken.
She listens to an audiobook while cooking to distract herself a bit.
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We go on a trip.
The plural pronoun 'Wir' acts as the subject. The masculine noun 'Ausflug' functions as the direct object of 'machen', requiring the indefinite accusative ending '-en' in 'einen Ausflug'.
Wir machen einen Ausflug in die Berge, falls das Wetter am Wochenende stabil bleibt.
We will go on a trip to the mountains if the weather remains stable over the weekend.
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I enjoy the day.
The pronoun 'Ich' is the subject. The verb 'genießen' rules over a direct object, changing the masculine 'der Tag' into its accusative counterpart 'den Tag'.
Ich genieße den Tag heute im Park, ganz ohne Laptop und Smartphone.
I'm enjoying the day in the park today, completely without a laptop or smartphone.