All About German Accusative Object – Learn Easy Way / Akkusativergänzung

In this lesson, you will learn about verbs that require an object or a complement in the accusative case. A complement (die Ergänzung) is essential to a simple sentence. The valency of the verb determines the number and form of complements. Complements in dependent cases are referred to as objects. Complements can take various forms, including nouns, pronouns, adjectives (and their phrases), adverbs, verbs in the infinitive, and entire dependent clauses. If you want to learn more about this topic, please explore “Objects or Complements in German .”

CONTENTS

Verbs that require an accusative object
What are transitive verbs?
Word order / Wortstellung

Verbs that require an accusative object

Most verbs in German require an object in the accusative case, and they belong to the group of transitive verbs.

What are transitive verbs?

Transitive verbs are verbs that require a direct object (an accusative) to complete their meaning. These verbs can be used to form passive constructions. In the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Additionally, in German, transitive verbs form both the perfect tense and the pluperfect tense with the auxiliary verb “haben.”

For example:
Active: Die Schüler lösen die Aufgaben.
This is an active sentence, “die Aufgaben” is an accusative object here.

Passive: Die Aufgaben werden (von den Schülern ) gelöst.

In the passive sentence “Die Aufgaben” has become the subject and the prepositional object “von den Schülern” is optional.

Example for Perfect and Pluperfect tense:

Perfect tense: Wir haben im Kino einen interessanten Film gesehen. –We have watched an interesting film at the cinema.

If we ask the question, “Who or what did we watch?” the answer is “einen interessanten Film” (an interesting film). This helps us identify an accusative object in the sentence.

Since we have determined the accusative object, we know that the verb “sehen” (to see) is transitive, meaning it requires the auxiliary verb “haben” (to have) in the perfect tense.

The same process applies in the pluperfect tense. Using the same sentence as an example, we still have the transitive verb “sehen.” The only difference is that we use “haben” in the past tense.
For example:
Wir hatten im Kino einen interessanten Film gesehen. – We had seen an interesting film in the cinema.

NOTE: There are a few exceptions with transitive verbs that CANNOT form the werden – passive .
Some of them are:
Verbs of possession: wissen (know), haben(have), erhalten(receive), kennen (know), besitzen (possess), bekommen(get) …
Verbs expressing amount or quantity: kosten(cost), wiegen(weigh), betragen(amount), …

An accusative object can refer to a thing or a living being.
Answers the question WEN? or WAS?, in English WHO? or WHAT?

For example:
Ich lese das Buch? – Was lese ich? – Das Buch
Ich sehe einen Mann? – Wen sehe ich? – Einen Mann.

The object in the accusative case is the direct object.

Verbs with the accusative case:

For example:
Wir  besuchen unseren Opa.

“unseren Opa” is an accusative object.
We visited our grandfather.
Who did we visit? – Our grandfather.
The sentence would not make sense without this complement.
We asked the question with the interrogative word “Who? (Wen?), because it is about”Who?” (Wen?) because it concerns a living being.

Word order / Wortstellung

Declarative sentence:

Interrogative sentence:

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