What are the different cases in German and how do I know which to use?

There are 4 main cases in German, the nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive.

The nominative case is the subject of the sentence: what is doing the action - 'THE MAN throws the ball'

The accusative case is the object of the sentence: what is having the action done to it - 'the man throws THE BALL'

The dative case is the indirect object: what recieves the object in the accusative - 'the man throws the ball to THE DOG'

The genitive case shows possession: who owns the object - 'the DOG's ball' (the ball OF THE DOG)

KF
Answered by Katie F. German tutor

1699 Views

See similar German GCSE tutors

Related German GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do I figure out which case to use?


When do I use the accusative, genitive, and dative case with certain prepositions?


What is the difference in meaning between the nominative and the accusative?


You're writing an entry for a German blog about your school, respectively, your school life. Give a general description of your school. Write which subjects you like and which not. Write what you did in school yesterday/tomorrow.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences