Word Functions in the Sentence
Explicação
📌 Read this before any grammar. This page is not about German as such — it is about the terms every grammar explanation on this site uses. If "direct object" or "Nominativ" feel vague, start here. You will come back to this page often.
1. Verb — what happens
The action or state; the central element of the sentence.
Ich lerne Deutsch. · Er schläft.
In German the conjugated verb always sits in position 2 of a main clause.
2. Noun — things and people
In German every noun is capitalised. Always.
der Mann · die Stadt · das Buch · das Lernen (the act of learning)
A capital letter mid-sentence means noun. It is the single most useful cue in written German.
3. Subject — who does it
The doer of the action. In German it takes the Nominativ.
Der Mann kauft ein Buch. Ask Wer? or Was? before the verb.
4. Direct object — what receives the action
In German it takes the Akkusativ.
Der Mann kauft ein Buch. · Ich sehe den Mann. Ask Wen? or Was? after the verb.
Note der Mann → den Mann: only the masculine article changes.
5. Indirect object — to whom
In German it takes the Dativ.
Ich gebe der Frau ein Buch. · Er hilft dem Kind. Ask Wem?
6. Adjective — what it is like
Describes the noun; its ending changes with case and gender.
Der alte Mann. · Ein schönes Haus.
7. Adverb — how, when, where
Modifies the verb or adjective. Invariable.
Er läuft schnell. · Ich lerne heute Deutsch.
8. Pronoun — stands in for a noun
| Pronoun | Meaning | Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | I | wir | we |
| du | you (informal) | ihr | you (plural) |
| er / sie / es | he / she / it | sie / Sie | they / you (formal) |
9. Preposition — relation between things
Each German preposition demands a specific case, and some switch case with meaning.
Ich gehe in die Schule. (motion → Akkusativ) · Ich bin in der Schule. (location → Dativ)
10. The four cases at a glance
| Case | Function | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | subject | wer? was? |
| Akkusativ | direct object | wen? was? |
| Dativ | indirect object | wem? |
| Genitiv | possession | wessen? |
This is the core difference from English: in English position tells you who does what. In German the case does, marked on the article — which is why word order can move without changing meaning.
⚠️ The mistake this prevents
✗ "Den Mann sieht die Frau" = "The man sees the woman"
✓ "Den Mann sieht die Frau" = "The woman sees the man"
Den is Akkusativ, so Mann is the object even though it comes first. Reading by position, as in English, gives you the exact opposite.
🧠 Keep this page as a reference. Every grammar explanation here uses these terms.
Exemplos
Der Mann kauft ein Buch.
The man buys a book. (Der Mann = subject/Nominative; ein Buch = direct object/Accusative)
Ich gebe der Frau einen Schlüssel.
I give the woman a key. (der Frau = indirect object/Dative; einen Schlüssel = direct object/Accusative)
Das Auto meines Vaters ist neu.
My father's car is new. (meines Vaters = possession/Genitive)
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