You are here:

 Grammar Nouns Declension Summary

Nouns - Declension: Summary

  

Forms

Here is a survey of the declension of the nouns in the four cases. There are three different genders: masculine (m), feminine (f) and neuter (nt). Nouns can be accompanied by definite or indefinite articles which always stand in front of the nouns. It is the best if you learn those forms by heart. There are no plural forms of the indefinite articles.

    Gender     N-declension
  Case masculine feminine neuter masculine
Singular forms
with
definite article		 Nominative der Mann m sg die Frau f sg das Kind nt sg der Junge m sg
Genitive des Mannes m sg der Frau f sg des Kindes nt sg des Jungen m sg
Dative dem Mann m sg der Frau f sg dem Kind nt sg dem Jungen m sg
Accusative den Mann m sg die Frau f sg das Kind nt sg den Jungen m sg
           
Plural forms
with
definite article		 Nominative die Männer m pl die Frauen f pl die Kinder nt pl die Jungen m pl
Genitive der Männer m pl der Frauen f pl der Kinder nt pl der Jungen m pl
Dative den Männern m pl den Frauen f pl den Kindern nt pl den Jungen m pl
Accusative die Männer m pl die Frauen f pl die Kinder nt pl die Jungen m pl
           
Singular forms
with
indefinite article 		Nominative ein Mann m sg eine Frau f sg ein Kind nt sg ein Junge m sg
Genitive eines Mannes m sg einer Frau f sg eines Kindes nt sg eines Jungen m sg
Dative einem Mann m sg einer Frau f sg einem Kind nt sg einem Jungen m sg
Accusative einen Mann m sg eine Frau f ein Kind nt sg einen Jungen m sg
           
Plural forms with
with
indefinite article		 Nominative Männer m pl Frauen f pl Kinder nt pl Jungen m pl
Genitive Männer m pl Frauen f pl Kinder nt pl Jungen m pl
Dative Männern m pl Frauen f pl Kindern nt pl Jungen m pl
Accusative Männer m pl Frauen f pl Kinder nt pl Jungen m pl

 

Examples of the different cases

The nominative is the first case. We use the nominative form of a noun whenever it represents the subject of the sentence. The subject is the acting part of the sentence which the predicate (the conjugated form of the verb) refers to.

Nominative (Subject): German Phonetic Script English
Question: Who is doing sth? Der Mann m versteht Deutsch. [de:ɐ man fɛɐ'ʃte:t dɔytʃ] The man understands German.

 

The genitive is the second of the German cases. There are some verbs and prepositions which are followed by the genitive. Then we have a genitive object.

Genitive (Object): German Phonetic Script English
Question: Who(m) do I remember? Ich gedenke des Freundes m. [ɪç gə'dɛŋkə dɛs 'frɔyndəs] I remember the friend.
Example Verb jemandes gedenken ['je:mandəs gə'dɛŋkən] to remember someone

The genitive attribute mostly indicates the owner.

Genitive (Attribute): German Phonetic Script English
Question: Whose car is new? Das Auto nt der Frau f ist neu. [das 'auto de:ɐ frau ɪst nɔy] The car of the woman is new.

 

The dative is the third case. It is used for the indirect object. In German it is called dative object. Very often a person receives something. Some German verbs and prepositions are followed by the dative case.

Dative (Object): German Phonetic Script English
Question: Who(m) do I help? Ich helfe dem Mann m. [ɪç 'hɛlfə de:m man] I help the man.
Example Verb jemandem helfen ['je:mandəm 'hɛlfən] to help someone
The dative object corresponds to the indirect object.

 

The accusative is the fourth of the German cases. The accusative object of a sentence corresponds to the direct object. Most of the German verbs and prepositions are followed by the accusative case.

Accusative (Object): German Phonetic Script English
Question: Who(m) do I visit? Ich besuche die Frau f. [ɪç bə'zu:xə di: frau] I visit the woman.
Example Verb jemanden besuchen ['je:mandən bə'zu:xən] to visit someone
The accusative object corresponds to the direct object.