German Verbs with Dative and Accusative Objects
Most German verbs take only one object, but a small group takes two: a person in the dative and a thing in the accusative. In this lesson, Luzi from YourGermanTeacher explains the grammar behind these verbs, the ten most common ones, the word order rules and a bonus group with two accusative objects.
How Many Verbs Need Which Case?
According to the video, there are only about six verbs that need the nominative, around 60 with the dative, and roughly 95 percent of verbs use the accusative. A few verbs need both dative and accusative. They are usually verbs of giving, taking and saying, and a sentence has two people and one thing.
Person in Dative, Thing in Accusative
A sentence has a subject (always nominative) and objects. The verb decides the case of the object: Das ist ein Arzt (nominative after sein), Ich rufe den Arzt (accusative), Ich glaube dem Arzt (dative). With geben you have two objects: Ich gebe dem Arzt den Ausweis. Here dem Arzt is the indirect object (dative, the person) and den Ausweis is the direct object (accusative, the thing). A quick test: in English, the dative object is the one you can put after to (I give the ID card to the doctor).
Word Order
| Objects | Order | Example |
|---|---|---|
| two nouns | dative before accusative | Ich gebe dem Arzt den Ausweis. |
| one pronoun, one noun | pronoun first | Ich gebe ihm den Ausweis. / Ich gebe ihn dem Arzt. |
| two pronouns | accusative before dative | Ich gebe ihn ihm. |
The version with two pronouns is possible but not very common.
The Top 10 Verbs with Dative and Accusative
| Verb | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| geben | to give | Die Vermieterin gibt mir den SchlĂźssel. |
| bringen | to bring | Der Kellner bringt dem Gast einen Kaffee. |
| empfehlen | to recommend | Ich empfehle dir das Restaurant. |
| zeigen | to show | Sie zeigt dir das neue Handy. |
| erzählen | to tell | Die Mutter erzählt der Tochter eine Geschichte. |
| leihen | to lend | Kannst du mir Geld leihen? |
| schenken | to give as a gift | Sie schenkt mir einen Apfel. |
| schicken | to send | Als Kind habe ich meiner Oma oft eine Postkarte geschickt. |
| erklären | to explain | Sie erklärt den Studenten die Aufgabe. |
| kaufen | to buy | Die Eltern haben dem Kind eine neue Gitarre gekauft. |
Many of these verbs can also be used with only one object. Ich kaufe einen Computer has one object, so only the accusative is needed. Ich kaufe dir einen Computer adds a person, so the dative appears.
Bonus: Verbs with Two Accusative Objects
A few verbs take two accusatives: nennen (Nennst du mich einen Idioten?), kosten (Das Handy kostet mich 200 Euro.) and angehen (Das geht dich nichts an., meaning none of your business).
Homework: write one sentence with geben or zeigen. If you use pronouns or possessive articles, remember that they change with the case.
What to Learn Next
Practise the object order in Position of Dativ and Akkusativ Objects, and learn more dative verbs in All 14 German Dative Verbs for A1 Level and All A2 German Dative Verbs with Examples. The accusative verbs are in 30 Most Important German Verbs with Accusative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German verbs take both dative and accusative?
Mainly verbs of giving, taking and saying, such as geben, bringen, empfehlen, zeigen, erzählen, leihen, schenken, schicken, erklären and kaufen.
Is the person dative or accusative with geben?
The person is dative and the thing is accusative: Ich gebe dem Arzt (dative) den Ausweis (accusative).
What is the word order with two objects?
With two nouns the dative comes first. With one pronoun, the pronoun comes first. With two pronouns, the accusative comes before the dative.
Can a verb like kaufen have only one object?
Yes. Ich kaufe einen Computer has one object (accusative). Adding a person makes it Ich kaufe dir einen Computer, with dative and accusative.
Which German verbs have two accusative objects?
The most common are nennen, kosten and angehen, for example Das Handy kostet mich 200 Euro.
Want to master the German cases step by step? Learn them in the right order in the A2 German online course from YourGermanTeacher.
