direct object

Transitive Verbs and the Accusative Object

In German, transitive verbs are those that govern a direct object in the accusative case. This object receives the action of the verb directly.

Examples of basic transitive usage:

• Er hat sie besucht. (He visited her.)
• Christian hat seine Freundin besucht. (Christian visited his girlfriend.)
• Den Arzt hat sie nicht gesehen. (She did not see the doctor.)

Object Clauses and Infinitives

Instead of a single noun or pronoun, the direct object can be an entire clause (a complement clause). This usually happens with verbs of saying, thinking, or wishing. These clauses can be introduced by dass (that), ob (if/whether), or an interrogative word. They can also be zu + infinitive phrases.

Sometimes, a "dummy" or placeholder es is used in the main clause to anticipate the coming object clause.

• Ich bedauerte, dass ich nicht kommen konnte. (I regretted that I could not come.)
• Sie fragte mich, ob ich dort übernachten wollte. (She asked me if I wanted to stay the night there.)
• Ich hoffe, dich bald wiedersehen zu können. (I hope to be able to see you again soon.)
• Ich konnte es kaum ertragen, ihn so leiden zu sehen. (I could hardly bear to see him suffer like that.)

Verbs with Two Accusative Objects

A small group of verbs can take two objects, both in the accusative case. The most common are kosten (to cost), lehren (to teach), nennen (to call/name), and schimpfen (to call someone a name).

• Der Flug hat meinen Vater 5000 Euro gekostet. (The flight cost my father 5000 euros.)
• Sie hat mich Deutsch gelehrt. (She taught me German.)
• Er nannte mich einen Lügner. (He called me a liar.)

Note: In colloquial German, people often use the dative for the person with lehren or abfragen (e.g., Sie hat mir Deutsch gelehrt).

German vs. English: Transitivity and Precision

English is very flexible; many verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively (e.g., "The branch broke" vs. "I broke the branch"). German is much more rigid. If a verb is intransitive, German often requires a different verb, a prefix, or a reflexive construction to make it transitive.

1. Prefixation

German often adds a prefix to an intransitive verb to make it transitive and allow an accusative object.

• Ich stieg auf den Berg. (I climbed [onto] the mountain - intransitive with preposition) vs. Ich bestieg den Berg. (I climbed the mountain - transitive with accusative).
• Sie antwortete auf die Frage. (She answered the question) vs. Sie beantwortete die Frage. (She answered the question).

2. Reflexive Verbs

Where English uses the same verb intransitively, German often uses a reflexive form (sich).

• Das hat sich geändert. (That has changed.)
• Die Tür öffnete sich. (The door opened.)

3. Causative Constructions with "lassen"

German uses lassen (to let/have) to express that someone causes an action to happen, where English might just use a transitive verb.

• Ich ließ den Stein fallen. (I dropped the stone / I let the stone fall.)
• Sie haben den Kandidaten durchfallen lassen. (They failed the candidate / They let the candidate fail.)