German verbs act as traffic directors. They signal exactly which case must follow them.
Use the "Wem" (Dative - to whom) and "Wen" (Accusative - whom) question method to decide the case. Person = Dative:
(to eat) – Er isst einen Apfel. (He is eating an apple.)
Unlike the accusative, all genders change in the dative case: becomes dem Die becomes der Die (Plural) becomes den (+ n added to the noun) Top Dative Verbs
Das Auto gehört Mutter. (The car belongs to my mother.) Die Hose passt mir nicht. (The pants do not fit me.) List Of Accusative And Dative Verbs In German Pdf
The action happens directly to the object. (Answers: Wen? / Who? or Was? / What?).
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Dative verbs, on the other hand, take a dative object. These verbs answer the question "wem?" (to whom?). Here are some common dative verbs in German:
(to visit) — Wir besuchen unseren Opa. (We are visiting our grandpa.) German verbs act as traffic directors
Many verbs take two objects simultaneously: a dative object (usually a person) and an accusative object (usually a thing). The general rule of thumb for sentence structure is: . Common Mixed Verbs geben (to give) bringen (to bring) zeigen (to show) schenken (to give as a gift) empfehlen (to recommend) erklären (to explain) schreiben (to write) schicken (to send) Sentence Structure Formula Subject + Verb + Dative (Receiver) + Accusative (Object)
| Verb | Meaning | |------|---------| | haben | to have | | sehen | to see | | hören | to hear | | lieben | to love | | hassen | to hate | | machen | to make/do | | nehmen | to take | | geben* | to give (needs also dative for person) | | kaufen | to buy | | essen | to eat | | trinken | to drink | | verstehen | to understand | | besuchen | to visit | | kennen | to know (a person/place) | | fragen | to ask |
. Below is a summary of the most common verbs for each case based on these resources. Common German Verbs by Case Accusative Verbs (Direct Objects)
Dative verbs are less common but highly crucial. These verbs bypass the accusative entirely. Even though the object might feel like a direct object in English, German grammar treats it as a recipient of a state or a specialized action. Essential Dative Verbs Person = Dative: (to eat) – Er isst einen Apfel
(to hear / to see) — Siehst du den Vogel? (Do you see the bird?)
If you have ever searched for a , you know that most resources are either incomplete or confusing. This article serves as your definitive guide. We will break down the logic behind verb cases, provide the most comprehensive categorized lists, and—most importantly—offer you a free, printable PDF cheat sheet to download at the end.
(to please / to like) — Das Buch gefällt der Studentin. (The student likes the book / The book pleases the student.)