German accusative case (direct object): der → den, ein → einen
The accusative marks the direct object, and only the masculine article changes: der becomes den, ein becomes einen, mein becomes meinen.
The accusative case marks the direct object — the thing the action happens to. The good news for beginners: only the masculine changes. Feminine, neuter, and plural look exactly like the nominative.
| Gender | Nominative | Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| masculine | der / ein / mein | den / einen / meinen |
| feminine | die / eine / meine | die / eine / meine |
| neuter | das / ein / mein | das / ein / mein |
| plural | die | die |
So der Hund (the dog, subject) becomes den Hund when it's the object: Ich sehe den Hund.
Common verbs that take an accusative object: haben (to have), sehen (to see), kaufen (to buy), essen (to eat).
Contrast for English speakers: English lost these endings centuries ago — "the dog" looks the same as subject or object. In German you must actively swap der → den the moment a masculine noun stops being the subject.
Examples
Ich sehe den Hund.
I see the dog.
Wir kaufen einen Tisch.
We are buying a table.
Das Kind isst einen Apfel.
The child is eating an apple.
Sie hat eine Katze.
She has a cat.
Common mistakes
*Hund* is masculine and here it is the direct object, so *der* must become *den*. Using *der* leaves it in the subject form.
*Tisch* is masculine, so the accusative indefinite article is *einen*, not *ein*. Learners often forget the *-en* because feminine and neuter keep *eine / ein* unchanged.
*Katze* is feminine, so it stays *eine* in the accusative. Only masculine nouns take *einen* — don't over-apply the *-en* ending.
Related topics
Practice
Ich habe ___ Hund.
Siehst du ___ Mann dort?
Wir kaufen ___ Tisch.