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German • Level 1 • GRAMMAR

prons: accusative

💡 Grammar Rule

German Personal Pronouns: Focus on the Accusative Case

In German, personal pronouns change their form based on their grammatical role in a sentence (their case). When a pronoun acts as the direct object of a action—the person or thing being directly acted upon—we use the Accusative case.

1. The Accusative Forms

While the nominative case (subject) is the "dictionary form," the accusative forms for personal pronouns are as follows:

  • mich (me) - Example: Er hört mich. (He hears me.)
  • dich (you, singular informal) - Example: Ich liebe dich. (I love you.)
  • ihn (him/it, masculine) - Example: Ich sehe ihn. (I see him.)
  • sie (her/it, feminine) - Example: Wir rufen sie. (We are calling her.)
  • es (it, neutral) - Example: Du hast es. (You have it.)
  • uns (us) - Example: Sie besucht uns. (She is visiting us.)
  • euch (you all, plural informal) - Example: Ich mag euch. (I like you guys.)
  • sie (them) - Example: Er kennt sie. (He knows them.)
  • Sie (you, formal) - Example: Ich begleite Sie. (I will accompany you.)

2. Spoken Reductions and Contractions

In standard written German, these forms are written out fully. However, in everyday spoken German, personal pronouns are often unstressed and "swallowed" or contracted to make speech faster.

  • 's (es): The most common contraction, even found in literature and poetry.
    Standard: Ich soll es ihm geben. → Spoken: 'ch soll's 'm geben. (I'm supposed to give it to him.)
  • 'n (ihn): Used frequently in colloquial speech.
    Standard: Jetzt kannst du ihn sehen. → Spoken: Jetzt kannst'n sehen. (Now you can see him.)

3. Omission in Colloquial Speech

In rapid, informal conversation, Germans sometimes omit the subject pronoun (Nominative) entirely if the context is clear. This is not grammatically correct in formal writing.

  • Weiß es nicht. ( [I] don't know it.)
  • Kannst morgen kommen? (Can [you] come tomorrow?)
  • Scheint zu klappen. ( [It] seems to be working.)

4. Regional Variation

German is a diverse language with many dialects. In Southern Germany (such as Bavaria or Austria), you might hear people use mir instead of wir for "we."

  • Mir gehen jetzt ins Kino. (We are going to the movies now.)

Note: In standard German, mir is actually the Dative form of "me," so using it for "we" is strictly a regional, non-standard feature.

Do you hear me?
Hörst du mich?
Yes, I hear you very well.
Ja, ich höre dich sehr gut.
Do you see that man?
Siehst du diesen Mann?
Yes, I see him now.
Ja, ich sehe ihn jetzt.
Where is the suitcase?
Wo ist der Koffer?
Max has it.
Max hat ihn.
Where is my key?
Wo ist mein Schlüssel?
I have it.
Ich habe ihn.
Are you looking for Maria?
Suchst du Maria?
Yes, I am looking for her.
Ja, ich suche sie.
The book is good.
Das Buch ist gut.
I read it every night.
Ich lese es jede Nacht.
Are you helping us?
Hilfst du uns?
Sure, I'll gladly help you all.
Klar, ich helfe euch gerne.
Do you all understand the exercise?
Versteht ihr die Übung?
No, we don't understand it.
Nein, wir verstehen sie nicht.
Do you see the children?
Siehst du die Kinder?
Yes, I see them in the garden.
Ja, ich sehe sie im Garten.
Will you call me tomorrow?
Rufst du mich morgen an?
Yes, I'll call you at ten.
Ja, ich rufe dich um zehn an.
Mr. Müller, may I ask you something?
Herr Müller, darf ich Sie etwas fragen?
Of course, ask me.
Natürlich, fragen Sie mich.
Do you know my brothers?
Kennst du meine Brüder?
No, I don't know them.
Nein, ich kenne sie nicht.
Do you love your dog?
Liebst du deinen Hund?
Yes, I love him a lot.
Ja, ich liebe ihn sehr.
Do you need the table?
Brauchst du den Tisch?
No, I don't need it.
Nein, ich brauche ihn nicht.
Do you understand me?
Verstehst du mich?
Sometimes I don't understand you.
Manchmal verstehe ich dich nicht.
Are you visiting your grandparents?
Besuchst du deine Großeltern?
Yes, I am visiting them today.
Ja, ich besuche sie heute.
The soup is cold.
Die Suppe ist kalt.
I don't want to eat it.
Ich möchte sie nicht essen.
Who has my mobile phone?
Wer hat mein Handy?
Sara has it.
Sara hat es.
Are you all looking for your cat?
Sucht ihr eure Katze?
Yes, we can't find her.
Ja, wir finden sie nicht.
I have a problem.
Ich habe ein Problem.
Tell it to me please.
Erzähl es mir bitte.
Do you know this city?
Kennen Sie diese Stadt?
No, I don't know it well.
Nein, ich kenne sie nicht gut.
Shall we invite Lukas?
Laden wir Lukas ein?
Yes, we'll invite him.
Ja, wir laden ihn ein.
Your aunt is coming today.
Eure Tante kommt heute.
We are picking her up.
Wir holen sie ab.
Are you looking for your glasses?
Suchst du deine Brille?
Yes, I don't see them.
Ja, ich sehe sie nicht.
Do you all want chocolate?
Wollt ihr Schokolade?
Yes, we want it.
Ja, wir wollen sie.

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