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
Grammatical analysisBase form ichCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberSingular (singular)Person1st person singular (ich)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form sehenPerson1st person singular (ich)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form derCaseAkkusativ (accusative)Gendermaskulin (masculine)NumberSingular (singular)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form HundCaseAkkusativ (accusative)Gendermaskulin (masculine)NumberSingular (singular)Checked deterministically before build.
I see the dog.
Grammatical analysisBase form wirCaseNominativ (nominative)NumberPlural (plural)Person1st person plural (wir)Checked deterministically before build kaufen Grammatical analysisBase form einCaseAkkusativ (accusative)Gendermaskulin (masculine)NumberSingular (singular)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form TischCaseAkkusativ (accusative)Gendermaskulin (masculine)NumberSingular (singular)Checked deterministically before build.
We are buying a table.
Das Kind isst Grammatical analysisBase form einCaseAkkusativ (accusative)Gendermaskulin (masculine)NumberSingular (singular)Checked deterministically before build Grammatical analysisBase form ApfelCaseAkkusativ (accusative)Gendermaskulin (masculine)NumberSingular (singular)Checked deterministically before build.
The child is eating an apple.
Sie Grammatical analysisBase form habenPerson3rd person singular (er/sie/es)TensePräsens (present)Checked deterministically before build 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.