Accusative Case: Personal Pronouns
In German, personal pronouns change based on the grammatical case they are in. In this guide, we will focus on personal pronouns in the accusative case. The accusative case is used to mark the direct object of a sentence.
Subject Pronouns in English
Before we dive into the German accusative pronouns, let's review the subject pronouns in English:
- I
- You
- He
- She
- It
- We
- They
Accusative Pronouns in German
In German, personal pronouns change in the accusative case to indicate the direct object of a sentence. Here are the accusative pronouns in German:
- Me (mich)
- You (dich)
- Him (ihn)
- Her (sie)
- It (es)
- Us (uns)
- You (euch)
- Them (sie)
Using Accusative Pronouns
Accusative pronouns in German can replace both people and things as the direct object of a sentence. Here are a few examples:
- Ich sehe dich. (I see you.)
- Sie sieht ihn. (She sees him.)
- Er kauft sie. (He buys her.)
- Wir haben es. (We have it.)
- Sie mögen uns. (They like us.)
Placement of Accusative Pronouns
In German, accusative pronouns are typically placed before the conjugated verb in a sentence. However, if the sentence also includes an object that is a noun, the pronoun can be placed before or after the noun. Here are some examples:
- Ich sehe dich. (I see you.)
- Ich sehe dich morgen. (I see you tomorrow.)
- Er kauft sie das Buch. (He buys her the book.)
- Er kauft das Buch ihr. (He buys the book for her.)
Summary
To summarize:
- Accusative pronouns replace the direct object of a sentence.
- The accusative pronouns in German are mich, dich, ihn, sie, es, uns, euch, sie.
- Accusative pronouns are typically placed before the verb, but can also come after a noun object.
By understanding and correctly using accusative pronouns in German, you will be able to construct more accurate and fluent sentences. Keep practicing and incorporating them into your conversations to improve your language skills. Happy learning!