UNIT FOUR
Cases
What are cases?
A case refers to the role a noun or a pronoun plays in a particular sentence
or clause. There are four main functions and each one can be linked to
a specific case in German:Case Function of noun/pronoun Example
Nom. The noun/pronoun is thesubject Der Schülerkauft einen Computer.
of the sentence, i.e. the ‘agent’ ‘The pupil buys a computer’.
of what is happening.
Acc. It is thedirect objectof a Die Lehrerin lobt den Schüler.
sentence, i.e. the ‘receiver’ of the ‘The teacher praises the pupil’.
action.
Dat. It is the indirect object, an Er schenkt ihreine DVD.
additional object to whom/which ‘He gives hera DVD’.
the action is done.
Gen. It indicates possessionor Das ist das Auto meines Bruders.
ownership between two nouns. ‘This is my brother’scar’.Changes caused by the case system
Changes to articles and determiners
The various functions and therefore the cases of nouns are usually sig-
nalled by the endings of articles and other determiners. When, for instance,
a masculine noun is the subjectin a sentence and in the nominative,the
definite article would be der. If, however a masculine noun acts as the
direct object,dermust change to denas it is now in the accusative: