1.3 Lektion 1 F ü hlen und erleben STRUKTUREN © and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 1.3-1 Nominative and accusative cases; pronouns and possessive adjectives

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Lektion 1 Fühlen und erlebenSTRUKTUREN

© and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 1.3-1

Nominative and accusative cases; pronouns and possessive adjectives

Nominative and accusative cases

The definite article (der, die, das, or die) that goes with each German noun tells the gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), as well as the number (singular or plural) of the noun. The case of the noun or pronoun depends on the role it plays in the sentence. The definite and indefinite articles and the personal pronouns change according to the case of the noun.

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German has four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. This section presents the nominative and accusative cases. The subject of the sentence performs the action and is in the nominative case. The direct object is the receiver of the action and is in the accusative case.

Nominative Verb Accusative

Die FrauThe woman

suchtis looking for

ihren Mann.her husband.

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• The table below shows the form of definite and indefinite articles of nouns in the nominative case. These nouns can be replaced by the corresponding pronoun.

Nominative

definite article indefinite article pronoun

Masculine der Mann ein Mann er

Feminine die Hochzeit eine Hochzeit sie

Neuter das Fest ein Fest es

Plural die Geschenke sie

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Der Mann ist normalerweise pessimistisch, aber er heiratete trotzdem!

The man is usually pessimistic, but he got married anyway!

Die Witwe in meiner Nachbarschaft ist nett. Sie gibt den Kindern Kuchen.

The widow in my neighborhood is nice. She gives cake to the children.

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ACHTUNG!

In English, nouns that don’t refer to people can always be replaced by the pronoun it. In German, the pronoun must correspond to the gender of the noun it replaces.

Der Wagen ist viel zu teuer.The car is much too expensive.

Er ist viel zu teuer.It is much too expensive.

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• Masculine singular nouns in the accusative case require a change in the article and the pronoun.

Accusative

definite article indefinite article pronoun

Masculine den Mann einen Mann ihn

Feminine die Hochzeit eine Hochzeit sie

Neuter das Fest ein Fest es

Plural die Geschenke seid sie

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Kennst du den Professor?Nein, ich kenne ihn nicht.

Do you know the professor?No, I don’t know him.

Hast du die Geschenke von gestern?Ja, ich habe sie bei mir zu Hause.

Do you have the gifts from yesterday?Yes, I have them at home.

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ACHTUNG!

The accusative case is also used after the phrase es gibt.

Es gibt gute Restaurants in Berlin.There are good restaurants in Berlin.

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• Definite articles belong to a group of words known as der-words. The group includes dies- (this), jed- (each), welch- (which), and solch- (such a). The ein-words include kein and the possessive adjectives mein, dein, sein, unser, euer, ihr, Ihr. All words in these two groups (der-words and ein-words) require the same case endings as der and ein, respectively.

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Der- and ein-words declension

Der-words Ein-words

Nominative Accusative Nominative Accusative

Masculine dieser diesen mein meinen

Feminine diese diese meine meine

Neuter dieses dieses mein mein

Plural diese diese meine meine

Dieses Buch gefällt mir nicht. Es ist zu langweilig. Ich möchte mein Buch lesen.

I don’t like this book. It’s too boring. I want to read my book.

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• In questions, the proper form of the question word also depends on the case.

Nominative Accusative

Was? What? Was? What?

Wer? Who? Wen? Whom?

Was macht die Frau?What is the woman doing?

Wen siehst du?Whom do you see?

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• The nominative case is used for nouns following the verbs sein, werden, and bleiben.

Der Student ist auch der Präsident vom Deutschklub.

The student is also the president of the German Club.

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ACHTUNG!

Note that the nominative case is used after sein, werden,and bleiben only with predicate nouns (nouns that refer to thesubject of the sentence). When any of these verbs isfollowed by a time expression, the expression takes theaccusative case.

Wir bleiben einen Monat in Berlin.We are staying in Berlin for a month.

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Pronouns and possessive adjectives

• Nominative and accusative personal pronouns replace nouns and must agree in number and case with the person or item to which they refer. Possessive adjectives show to whom something belongs or how two people or items are related to each other.

Personal pronouns

Nominative Accusative

ich du er siees

wirihrsieSie

mich medich you ihn himsie heres it

uns useuch yousie themSie you

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Possessive adjectives

mein my

dein your

sein his

ihr her

sein its

unser our

euer your

ihr their

Ihr your

Ich sehe ihn.

I see him.

Maria ruft ihren Bruder nie an.

Maria never calls her brother.

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ACHTUNG!

When adding an ending to euer, drop the second e.

Ist das euer Hund?Is that your dog?

Ich sehe euren Hund.I see your dog.

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1.3 Lektion 1 F ü hlen und erleben STRUKTUREN © and ® 2012 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 1.3-1 Nominative and accusative cases; pronouns and possessive adjectives