A
Akkusativ
The direct object. What (or who) receives the action, found by asking wen? or was? after the verb. The default case German reaches for when nothing else applies.
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Dativ
The recipient. Who benefits, receives, or is affected, found by asking wem? Also the case a fixed set of prepositions always demand (mit, bei, von, nach, seit, aus, zu), no matter what follows.
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Genitiv
Possession. Shows what belongs to what, found by asking wessen? Mostly written, rarely spoken: von + Dativ replaces it in everyday conversation.
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Nominativ
The subject. The doer of the sentence, found by asking wer? or was? before the verb. Every other case is defined in relation to this one.
Read the full guide →Continue with Part 4 · Tenses and verb forms A-Z, or browse the full blog index.