accusative

The Accusative Case (Der Akkusativ)

In German, the accusative case is primarily used to identify the direct object of a sentence. While the feminine, neuter, and plural forms remain the same as the nominative, the masculine article changes from der/ein to den/einen.

1. The Direct Object

The most common use of the accusative is to mark the person or thing directly receiving the action of a transitive verb.

• Ich habe einen Stein geworfen. (I threw a stone.)
• Die Putzfrau hat den Fußboden gebohnert. (The cleaning lady waxed the floor.)
• Er hat die Tauben im Park vergiftet. (He poisoned the pigeons in the park.)

2. Verbs with Two Accusative Objects

A few specific verbs, such as kosten (to cost) and lehren (to teach), take two direct objects in the accusative.

• Das kostet mich einen Euro. (That costs me one euro.)

3. The Cognate Accusative

Sometimes, intransitive verbs (verbs that usually don't take an object) use an accusative noun that repeats or intensifies the verb's meaning.

• Er starb einen schweren Tod. (He died a difficult death.)
• Sie schlief den Schlaf der Gerechten. (She slept the sleep of the righteous.)

4. Greetings and Wishes

Most common German greetings are actually short versions of sentences using a hidden verb like "wünschen" (to wish), which requires the accusative.

• Guten Morgen! (Good morning!)
• Schönen Sonntag! (Have a nice Sunday!)
• Herzlichen Glückwunsch! (Sincere congratulations!)
• Gute Besserung! (Get well soon!)

5. Adjectives Governing the Accusative

A small group of adjectives requires the accusative case to complete their meaning.

• Ich bin das Warten gewohnt. (I am used to the waiting.)

6. Adverbial Expressions

The accusative is frequently used without a preposition to express time, measurement, or distance.

• Time: Ich bleibe den ganzen Tag. (I am staying the whole day.) / Letzten Freitag war ich hier. (I was here last Friday.)
• Measurement/Value: Das ist keinen Pfennig wert. (That is not worth a penny.) / Das Kind ist vier Jahre alt. (The child is four years old.)
• Distance: Wir sind den ganzen Weg gegangen. (We walked the whole way.) / Komm die Treppe herunter! (Come down the stairs!)

7. Absolute Accusative

In formal or literary writing, the accusative can describe a state or condition without using a verb or the word "with." In casual speech, this is usually replaced by a "mit" (with) phrase.

• Er stand da, den Kopf geneigt. (He stood there, his head bowed.)

8. Prepositions

The accusative is mandatory after certain prepositions:

• Always Accusative: bis, durch, für, gegen, ohne, um.
• Two-Way Prepositions: an, auf, in, hinter, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen take the accusative only when they indicate movement toward a destination (answering the question "Where to?").