(to hear) – Hörst du den Musikant? (Do you hear the musician?)
(to fit / suit) — Die Hose passt mir nicht. (The pants don't fit me.)
(to write): Er schreibt seiner Mutter (Dat) einen Brief (Akk).
(to recommend) – Ich empfehle dir (Dat) dieses Restaurant (Akk). (I recommend this restaurant to you.)
(to congratulate): Wir gratulieren dir zum Geburtstag. Verbs with Both (Dative & Accusative)
(to gift) – Er schenkt seiner Freundin (dative) einen Ring (accusative).
Keep this quick reference guide in mind when writing or speaking. It highlights how definite and indefinite articles shift based on the verb's case requirement. die / eine Accusative den / einen die / eine Dative dem / einem der / einer dem / einem den / --n (add -n to noun) How to Save This Guide as a PDF To turn this list into a portable PDF study guide: Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) on your keyboard. Change the printer destination to "Save as PDF" .
(to hurt) – Mein Kopf tut mir weh. (My head hurts me.) 4. Verbs That Take Both (Dative + Accusative)
(to show): Er zeigt den Touristen (Dativ) die Stadt (Akkusativ).
Most German verbs take a direct object in the accusative case. If an action affects a thing or a person directly, use the accusative. High-Frequency Accusative Verbs (to have) brauchen (to need) es gibt (there is / there are) suchen (to look for) finden (to find) lieben (to love) hören (to hear) sehen (to see) kaufen (to buy) anrufen (to call on the phone) Sentences in Action
Das Auto gehört Mutter. (The car belongs to my mother.) Die Hose passt mir nicht. (The pants do not fit me.)
Many German verbs can take two objects at the same time. The golden rule for these verbs is:
(to show) – Kannst du mir (dative) dein Foto (accusative) zeigen?