Unit 10 • • •
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Some of them take the accusative (for example durch ‘through’ or für ‘for’. Some prepositions take the dative (for example mit ‘with’ or von ‘from’. Very few prepositions take the genitive.
If you have a preposition which requires the accusative case, then the object in the German sentence must be in the accusative, even if it would be an indirect object in English: Ich kaufe einen Roman für meinen Freund.
I’m buying a novel for my friend.
In English, ‘for my friend’ is the indirect object, but in German für meinen Freund is in the accusative case because für is one of the prepositions after which you must always use the accusative.
Summary of basic principles The use of cases is determined by three principles: • • •
whether the noun is the subject or the object of the sentence the verb, and any prepositions used.
It is particularly important to learn which verbs take the dative, and which prepositions govern which case.
Exercise 10.1 Underline the subject – the noun in the nominative – in each sentence. Example: Die Frau isst einen Hamburger. → Die Frau isst einen Hamburger. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Der Mann geht ins Kino. Das Kind spielt mit den Autos. Nach dem Essen trinken die Leute noch Kaffee. Die Katze heißt Kassandra. In der Garage steht das Auto. Um acht Uhr verlässt die Nachbarin das Haus.