30 Most Important German Verbs with Accusative
These 30 German verbs all require the accusative, and because they are also very common and important, learning them improves your speaking right away. Every verb comes with its meaning and an example sentence, and there is a bonus tip on the few verbs that take two accusative objects.
What Are Akkusativ Verben?
A verb with an accusative object answers the question Wen oder was? (whom or what?). Masculine articles change (der → den, ein → einen); feminine, neuter and plural articles look the same as in the nominative. In each example below, the accusative object is the thing or person that receives the action.
The 30 Verbs with Accusative
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| abholen | to pick someone up (separable) | Tom holt seine Freundin am Bahnhof ab. |
| anrufen | to call someone (separable) | Frau Müller ruft ihren Sohn an. |
| aufräumen | to tidy up (separable) | Gestern habe ich mein Zimmer aufgeräumt. |
| beantworten | to answer | Karin beantwortet morgens ihre E-Mails. |
| bekommen | to get | Peter hat ein tolles Geschenk bekommen. |
| bestellen | to order | Hast du dein Essen schon mal online bestellt? |
| bestehen | to pass (usually an exam) | Markus hat die Prüfung bestanden. |
| besuchen | to visit, to attend | Sabine besucht gern ihre Großmutter. |
| brauchen | to need | Ich brauche dringend ein neues Fahrrad. |
| essen | to eat | Im Sommer isst sie oft einen Apfel. |
| finden | to find, to think (of) | Mike findet den Sportwagen toll. |
| genießen | to enjoy | Beni genießt seinen Urlaub. |
| haben | to have | Hast du einen Hund? |
| hören | to hear, to listen to | Nadine hört oft deutschsprachige Podcasts. |
| kaufen | to buy | Ich habe noch nie einen Regenschirm gekauft. |
| kennen | to know (a person or place) | Kennst du die Stadt? |
| kopieren | to copy | Die Sekretärin kopiert den Vertrag zweimal. |
| lesen | to read | Anna liest in der Sonne einen Roman. |
| lieben | to love | Lea liebt ihre Katzen. |
| mögen | to like | Tobi mag seinen Chef gar nicht. |
| nehmen | to take | Sabine muss täglich Medikamente nehmen. |
| reparieren | to repair | Morgen repariere ich meinen Schrank. |
| sehen | to see | Siehst du den Fehler? |
| suchen | to search, to look for | Olaf sucht ein spannendes Buch. |
| tragen | to wear | Trägst du eine Gesichtsmaske? |
| trinken | to drink | Abends trinke ich gern ein Glas Wein. |
| vergessen | to forget | Anton hat den Geldbeutel vergessen. |
| verlieren | to lose | Maria hat den Autoschlüssel verloren. |
| verstehen | to understand | Verstehst du mich? |
| vorbereiten | to prepare (separable) | Paul bereitet das Abendessen vor. |
Watch for the separable verbs: abholen, anrufen, aufräumen and vorbereiten split in a main clause (Tom holt seine Freundin am Bahnhof ab).
Notes on a Few Verbs
- aufräumen means to tidy up, not to clean. It is about putting things where they belong.
- bestehen is mostly used for exams: Markus hat die Prüfung bestanden.
- mögen is a modal verb, but it takes an accusative object as well: Tobi mag seinen Chef gar nicht.
- hören: a tip from the video is to listen to German-language podcasts. They are convenient, you can use them when you commute or travel, and they improve your listening a lot.
Bonus Tip: The Double Accusative (Doppelter Akkusativ)
Only a few verbs need two accusative objects. Three of the most common ones are lehren (to teach), kosten (to cost) and nennen (to call someone something).
- Ich lehre dich die deutsche Sprache.
- Das Auto kostet mich viel Geld.
- Er nennt ihn einen Idioten.
In each sentence, both objects are in the accusative.
How to Learn Them
Learn each verb in a short sentence with an object, like the examples above, then swap in your own object and say it aloud. To connect this list with other frequent verbs, see the top 10 most common German verbs and the top 50 most common German verbs. Refresh the case in What is Akkusativ?, and see reflexive verbs with Akkusativ for another group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an accusative verb in German?
A verb that takes a direct object in the accusative, answering wen oder was?, such as kaufen, sehen or lesen.
Which are the 30 most important verbs with accusative?
abholen, anrufen, aufräumen, beantworten, bekommen, bestellen, bestehen, besuchen, brauchen, essen, finden, genießen, haben, hören, kaufen, kennen, kopieren, lesen, lieben, mögen, nehmen, reparieren, sehen, suchen, tragen, trinken, vergessen, verlieren, verstehen and vorbereiten.
Which of these verbs are separable?
Abholen, anrufen, aufräumen and vorbereiten. In a main clause the prefix goes to the end: Paul bereitet das Abendessen vor.
Which verbs take two accusative objects?
Only a few, for example lehren (Ich lehre dich die deutsche Sprache), kosten (Das Auto kostet mich viel Geld) and nennen (Er nennt ihn einen Idioten).
Does aufräumen mean to clean?
No. Aufräumen means to tidy up, that is, to put things where they belong. Cleaning is something different.
Want to use these verbs confidently in real conversations? Our A1 German course helps you do exactly that.
