The nominative is the subject — who or what does the action. The accusative is the direct object — who or what receives the action. In Der Hund sieht den Mann, the dog does the seeing (nominative) and the man is seen (accusative).
The good news: you only see a difference with masculine nouns. der becomes den, ein becomes einen. Everything else looks the same.
Nominative vs. accusative at a glance
| Nominative | Accusative | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | subject (does the action) | direct object (receives the action) |
| Question | Wer? / Was? | Wen? / Was? |
| Masculine | der / ein | den / einen |
| Feminine | die / eine | die / eine |
| Neuter | das / ein | das / ein |
| Plural | die | die |
| Pronoun (he) | er | ihn |
Test 1: Ask “Wer?” and “Wen?”
Take the verb and ask two questions. Wer + verb gives you the subject. Wen + verb + subject gives you the object.
- Der Lehrer fragt den Schüler. — Wer fragt? Der Lehrer (nominative). Wen fragt der Lehrer? Den Schüler (accusative).
- Meine Schwester kauft einen Laptop. — Wer kauft? Meine Schwester. Was kauft sie? Einen Laptop.
For things, both questions are Was? — so use the other tests. More on the question words: the accusative questions wen and was.
Test 2: Look at the verb ending
The verb always agrees with the subject. If you’re unsure which noun is the subject, check which one matches the verb:
- Die Kinder sehen den Hund. — sehen is plural, so die Kinder is the subject.
- Den Hund sehen die Kinder. — same meaning. The verb is still plural, so the subject is still die Kinder.
Test 3: Look at the article (masculine only)
If a masculine noun has den or einen, it’s accusative — no matter where it stands in the sentence:
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Der Hund beißt den Mann. | The dog bites the man. |
| Den Mann beißt der Hund. | The dog bites the man. (same meaning!) |
| Der Mann beißt den Hund. | The man bites the dog. |
This is why German word order can be so flexible: the article, not the position, tells you who does what. See how word order affects the accusative.
When both nouns are nominative
With sein, werden, bleiben and heißen, there’s no direct object. Both nouns are nominative:
- Das ist ein Hund. — That is a dog. (not einen)
- Er wird ein guter Arzt. — He is becoming a good doctor.
- Mein Vater bleibt ein Optimist. — My father remains an optimist.
Pronouns make it obvious
| Nominative | Accusative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mich | Er sieht mich. |
| du | dich | Ich liebe dich. |
| er | ihn | Ich kenne ihn. |
| wir | uns | Sie besucht uns. |
| ihr | euch | Ich höre euch. |
sie, es and Sie don’t change. Full list: accusative pronouns.
Common mistakes
- ❌ Ich habe ein Bruder. → ✅ Ich habe einen Bruder.
- ❌ Den Mann ist nett. → ✅ Der Mann ist nett. (subject)
- ❌ Das ist einen Tisch. → ✅ Das ist ein Tisch. (after sein)
- ❌ Wer siehst du? → ✅ Wen siehst du?
- ❌ Assuming the first noun is always the subject → ✅ check the article and the verb.
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell if a German word is nominative or accusative?
Ask Wer? for the subject (nominative) and Wen? or Was? for the direct object (accusative). With masculine nouns, the article gives it away: der = nominative, den = accusative.
What is the difference between nominative and accusative?
The nominative is the doer of the action; the accusative receives it.
Why does only the masculine change?
Feminine, neuter and plural forms merged over time and now look the same in both cases. Masculine is the only one that kept a separate accusative form.
Is the first noun always nominative?
No. Den Film habe ich gesehen starts with the accusative. The subject can come after the verb.
Does sein take the accusative?
No — sein links two nominatives: Das ist mein Freund.
