Dativ and Akkusativ are two important cases in German. You need them so it is clear who is doing something and who or what is affected by the action.
The main difference is simple:
Accusative: Wen oder was? Who or what?
Dative: Wem? To whom?
Accusative: Wen oder was?
The accusative usually shows the person or thing that is directly affected by the action.
Examples:
- Ich sehe den Hund.
Whom do I see? → den Hund - Sie liest ein Buch.
What is she reading? → ein Buch - Er kauft einen Apfel.
What is he buying? → einen Apfel
Typical verbs with the accusative:
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| sehen | Ich sehe den Mann. I see the man. |
| lesen | Sie liest das Buch. She is reading the book. |
| kaufen | Er kauft einen Tisch. He buys a table. |
| finden | Wir finden den Schlüssel. We find the key. |
| besuchen | Ich besuche meine Freundin. I visit my friend. |
Dative: Wem?
The dative often shows a person to whom something happens, to whom something belongs, or whom someone helps.
Examples:
- Ich helfe dem Kind.
Whom do I help? → dem Kind - Das Buch gehört meiner Schwester.
To whom does the book belong? → meiner Schwester - Er antwortet dem Lehrer.
Whom does he answer? → dem Lehrer
Typical verbs with the dative:
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| helfen | Ich helfe dem Kind. I help the child. |
| danken | Sie dankt ihrer Mutter. She thanks her mother. |
| antworten | Er antwortet dem Lehrer. He answers the teacher. |
| gehören | Das Handy gehört meinem Bruder. The phone belongs to my brother. |
| folgen | Der Hund folgt dem Mann. The dog follows the man. |
Dative and Accusative in One Sentence
Sometimes a sentence has two objects: a person and a thing.
Ich gebe dem Kind den Ball.
To whom do I give the ball? → dem Kind = dative
What do I give to the child? → den Ball = accusative
Remember:
- Person = often dative
- Thing = often accusative
More examples:
- Ich schenke meiner Freundin ein Buch.
→ meiner Freundin = dative
→ ein Buch = accusative - Er zeigt dem Lehrer das Foto.
→ dem Lehrer = dative
→ das Foto = accusative
Articles in the Dative and Accusative
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accusative | den Mann | die Frau | das Kind | die Kinder |
| Dative | dem Mann | der Frau | dem Kind | den Kindern |
Especially important:
- der Mann → den Mann in the accusative
- der Mann → dem Mann in the dative
Examples:
- Ich sehe den Mann. I see the man.
- Ich helfe dem Mann. I help the man.
Prepositions with the Accusative
These prepositions are followed by the accusative:
für, durch, gegen, ohne, um
Examples:
- Das Geschenk ist für meinen Vater. The present is for my father.
- Wir gehen durch den Park. We walk through the park.
- Sie kommt ohne ihre Freundin. She comes without her friend.
Prepositions with the Dative
These prepositions are followed by the dative:
mit, nach, bei, von, zu, aus, seit
Examples:
- Ich fahre mit dem Bus. I travel by bus.
- Wir gehen zu der Ärztin. We go to the doctor.
- Er kommt aus der Schule. He comes from school.
Wo or wohin?
With some prepositions, either dative or accusative can be used:
in, an, auf, unter, über, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen
The rule is:
- Wo? Where? → dative
- Wohin? To where? → accusative
Examples:
- Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch.
Where is the book lying? → auf dem Tisch = dative - Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch.
Where do I put the book? → auf den Tisch = accusative - Das Kind ist in der Schule.
Where is the child? → in der Schule = dative - Das Kind geht in die Schule.
Where is the child going? → in die Schule = accusative
Quick Summary
First ask the question for the object: Wen oder was? often leads to the accusative, and wem? often leads to the dative. Also learn the most important verbs and prepositions with fixed cases, because they are very useful in everyday German and for the B1 exam.