German Cases: Nominative, Accusative, Dative, Genitive
The four German cases and how articles, nouns and pronouns change in each. Master these and word endings stop being a mystery.
German uses four cases — nominative, accusative, dative and genitive — to show what each noun is doing in a sentence. The case decides the form of the article, the adjective ending and sometimes the noun itself, which is why endings feel unpredictable until the cases click. Work through the guides below to see exactly when each case is triggered and how the words around the noun change.
German Dative Articles: dem, der, dem, den & einem, einer
German dative articles explained: dem/der/dem/den and einem/einer/einem, with prepositions, contractions, and the plural -n trap. A2 reference with practice.
German Genitive Case: Articles, Endings & Examples
German genitive case explained: Genitive articles, adjective endings, and noun suffixes (des/der, -en, -(e)s) — B1 reference with examples and practice.
German N-Declension: Weak Masculine Nouns (der Student)
The German n-declension explained: weak masculine nouns add -(e)n in every case except nominative singular. Full tables, Herr/Name patterns, and practice.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four German cases?
They are the nominative (the subject — who does the action), the accusative (the direct object), the dative (the indirect object, often the recipient) and the genitive (possession, 'of'). Each case has its own set of article and pronoun forms.
How do I know which case to use?
Three things decide the case: the verb (some verbs always take the dative, like helfen), the preposition (each one governs a fixed case), and the noun's role in the sentence (subject → nominative, direct object → accusative). Learning verbs and prepositions together with their case is the fastest route.
What's the difference between the accusative and dative?
The accusative marks the direct object — the thing directly affected by the action (Ich sehe den Hund). The dative marks the indirect object — usually the person who receives or benefits (Ich gebe dem Hund einen Knochen). With two-way prepositions, accusative signals movement and dative signals location.
Which German case is the hardest?
Most learners find the dative trickiest, because it appears after many common verbs and prepositions and changes the articles in less obvious ways. The genitive is formally tidy but is increasingly replaced by von + dative in everyday speech, so you can learn to recognise it before you actively use it.