| Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Genitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | mich | mir | meiner |
| du | dich | dir | deiner |
| er/sie/es | ihn/sie/es | ihm/ihr/ihm | seiner/ihrer/seiner |
| wir | uns | uns | unser |
| ihr | euch | euch | euer |
| Sie | Sie | Ihnen | Ihrer |
| sie | sie | ihnen | ihrer |
| Nominative | Accusative | Dative | Genitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | me | to/for me | of me |
| you (familiar) | you | to/for you | of you |
| he/she/it | him|her|it | to/for him|her|it | of him|her|it |
| we | us | to/for us | of us |
| you (familiar, pl.) | you | to/for you | of you |
| you (formal) | you | to/for you | of you |
| they | them | to/for them | of them |
Common Verbs by Case
Accusative Verbs (take direct object)
- sehen (see), kennen (know), brauchen (need), haben (have)
- lieben (love), hören (hear), fragen (ask), besuchen (visit)
- rufen (call), erwarten (expect), verstehen (understand)
Dative Verbs (take dative object)
- helfen (help), danken (thank), antworten (answer), folgen (follow)
- gratulieren (congratulate), gehören (belong to), gefallen (please)
- glauben (believe), vertrauen (trust), passen (fit)
Verbs with Both (dative = person, accusative = thing)
- geben (give), zeigen (show), schenken (give as gift)
- erzählen (tell), erklären (explain), bringen (bring)
- kaufen (buy), schicken (send), leihen (lend)
Quick Memory Tricks
Accusative changes:
- ich → mich, du → dich, er → ihn
- Everything else stays similar to nominative
Dative “m” pattern:
- mir, dir, ihm, ihm (notice the “m” endings for singular)
- Plural uses “n”: uns, euch, ihnen
Always the same:
- uns (we/us/to us)
- euch (you all in all cases except nominative where it’s “ihr”)
- sie/Sie (feminine/plural/formal often stay “sie/Sie”)