Cases

Question 1

When is the dative used?

Answer 1

The dative case describes the indirect object of a sentence in German and English and answers the question, “wem?” (whom), or “was?” (what).

Question 2

How does the word “the” change in the dative?

Answer 2

To dem (M), der (F), den (P) and dem (N).

Question 3

How does the word “a” change in the dative?

Answer 3

To einem (M, N), and einer (F).

Question 4

List the prepositions that take the dative case.

Answer 4

aus (out)
auβer (besides) 
bei (next to) 
mit (with) 
nach (after)
seit (since) 
von (from) 
zu (to) 
gegenüber (opposite).

Question 5

List the verbs that take the dative case.

Answer 5

antworten (to answer)
danken (to thank)
glauben (to believe)
helfen (to help)
gehören (belong to) 
gefallen (to like)

Question 6

When do we use the genitive?

Answer 6

The genitive case indicates possession and answers the question “wessen?” or “whose?”

Question 7

When can you most often expect to use or see the genitive?

Answer 7

You’ll see the genitive case most often in written German. In spoken German, you’ll hear von (from)and the dative case instead of the genitive case.

Question 8

Which prepositions always take the genitive?

Answer 8

anstatt (instead of)
außerhalb (outside of)
innerhalb (inside of)
trotz (despite)
während (during)
wegen (because of)

Question 9

What is a common trap with genitive prepositions?

Answer 9

In written speech, the dative is simply used instead.

Question 10

Name the four cases.

Answer 10

Nominative, accusative, genitive, dative.

Question 11

Put simply, when is the nominative case used?

Answer 11

For the subject of a sentence.

Question 12

Generally, where in a sentence can you find the subject?

Answer 12

At the start.

Question 13

Name the subject of the sentence: das Mädchen singt das Lied.

Answer 13

Das Mädchen.

Question 14

Name the subject of the sentence: ich kaufe Sportschuhe

Answer 14

Ich.

Question 15

Name the subject of the sentence: meine Tante wohnt in Ulm

Answer 15

Meine Tante.

Question 16

What verbs is the nominative always used after?

Answer 16

Sein (to be), werden (to become) and heißen (to be called).

Question 17

Name the subject of the sentence: Einstein war ein genialer Physiker. – Einstein was a brilliant physicist.

Answer 17

Einstein and ein genialer Physiker are the same person, so both are the subject.

Question 18

Simply stated, how are articles used in the nominative altered?

Answer 18

They are not: they are the originals.

Question 19

When is the accusative used?

Answer 19

You use the accusative for the direct object of the sentence.

Question 20

Define a direct object.

Answer 20

The direct object is the person or thing having the action done to it (by the subject).

Question 21

What is the difference between a direct object and an indirect object?

Answer 21

The direct object is the thing that the subject acts upon, so in that last sentence, “cereal” is the direct object; it’s the thing Jake ate. An indirect object is an optional part of a sentence; it’s the recipient of an action.

Question 22

How do articles in the accusative case transform?

Answer 22

Masculine articles are transformed from -er to -en.

Question 23

What is the nominative (subject) and what is the accusative (object) in: Ihre Mutter mag meinen Zwiebelkuchen. – Her mother likes my onion tart.

Answer 23

Ihre Mutter [nominative] mag meinen Zwiebelkuchen [accusative] – Her mother likes my onion tart.

Question 24

What is the nominative (subject) and what is the accusative (object) in: Die Aprikosen haben zwei Euro gekostet. – The apricots cost two euros.

Answer 24

Die Aprikosen [nominative] haben zwei Euro gekostet. – The apricots cost two euros.

Question 25

Jeden Tag kaufe ich die Pommes.

Answer 25

Jeden Tag kaufe ich [nominative] die Pommes [accusative]. – I buy the chips every day.

Question 26

How do articles in the genitive case transform?

Answer 26

Masculine des eines/keines
Feminine der einer/keiner
Neuter des eines/keines
Plural der ––––/keiner

Question 27

Name the elements to the sentence, er hat seinem Bruder eine Geschichte erzählt. – He told his brother a story.

Answer 27

Er, so he is the subject.

eine Geschichte, so a story is the direct object.

seinem Bruder, so a his brother is the indirect object.

Question 28

Highlight the dative: ich schenkte meiner Mutter (f) ein T-Shirt. – I gave (to) my Mum a T-shirt.

Answer 28

Meiner Mutter.

Question 29

What is me in the dative case?

Answer 29

Mir

Question 30

What is you in the dative case?

Answer 30

Dir.

Question 31

What is him in the dative case?

Answer 31

Ihm.

Question 32

What is it in the dative case?

Answer 32

Ihm.

Question 33

What is us in the dative case?

Answer 33

Uns.

Question 34

What is you (p) in the dative case?

Answer 34

Euch.

Question 35

What is them in the dative case?

Answer 35

Ihnen.

Question 36

Fill the gap: Til schenkte __________ Freundin (f) ein Poster von Berlin.

Answer 36

Til schenkte seiner Freundin ein Poster von Berlin.

Question 37

Fill in the gap: Sie konnte _____ Mann (m) nicht helfen. – She could not help the man.

Answer 37

Sie konnte dem Mann nicht helfen.