| Person | Nominative | Accusative | Dative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st singular | ich (I) | mich (me) | mir (to/for me) |
| 2nd singular informal | du (you) | dich (you) | dir (to/for you) |
| 3rd singular masculine | er (he) | ihn (him) | ihm (to/for him) |
| 3rd singular feminine | sie (she) | sie (her) | ihr (to/for her) |
| 3rd singular neuter | es (it) | es (it) | ihm (to/for it) |
| 1st plural | wir (we) | uns (us) | uns (to/for us) |
| 2nd plural informal | ihr (you all) | euch (you all) | euch (to/for you all) |
| 3rd plural | sie (they) | sie (them) | ihnen (to/for them) |
| 2nd formal (sing/pl) | Sie (you) | Sie (you) | Ihnen (to/for you) |
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”)