uns/euch/sie

Accusative Pronouns Plural

Level 1

In German, when 'us', 'you all', 'them', or 'you (formal)' are the target of an action, they take the accusative case. These forms are: uns (us), euch (you all), sie (them), and Sie (you formal).

How It Works

The accusative case is primarily used for the direct object—the person or thing receiving the action of the verb.

The Plural Forms:

  • uns: 'us' (1st person plural). Used when you are part of the group being acted upon.
  • euch: 'you all' (2nd person plural, informal). Used when speaking to a group of friends, children, or family.
  • sie: 'them' (3rd person plural). Used for a group of people or things you are talking about.
  • Sie: 'you' (formal). Used for one or more adults you don't know well. Note that it is always capitalized.

Word Order:
In a basic sentence, these pronouns usually follow the conjugated verb (e.g., 'Ich liebe euch'). If a sentence contains both a dative and an accusative pronoun, the accusative pronoun actually comes first (e.g., 'Ich gebe sie ihm' - I give them to him).

Prepositions:
These pronouns must also be used after accusative prepositions like für (for) or ohne (without).

Examples (5)

  1. Können Sie uns hören?

    Can you hear us?

    Word by Word: Can you us hear?

    'uns' is the direct object of the verb 'hören' (to hear).

  2. Ich sehe euch am Bahnhof.

    I see you all at the train station.

    Word by Word: I see you-all at-the train-station.

    'euch' is used here because the speaker is addressing a group informally.

  3. Wir suchen sie schon lange.

    We have been looking for them for a long time.

    Word by Word: We search them already long.

    'sie' (lowercase) refers to 'them' as the object of the search.

  4. Ich begleite Sie zum Auto.

    I will accompany you to the car.

    Word by Word: I accompany you to-the car.

    'Sie' (capitalized) is the formal 'you', used here as the direct object.

  5. Das Geschenk ist für euch.

    The gift is for you all.

    Word by Word: The gift is for you-all.

    'euch' follows the preposition 'für', which always requires the accusative case.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ihr' instead of 'euch' as an object.

    Ich liebe ihr.
    Ich liebe euch.

    'ihr' is the nominative (subject) form. When 'you all' is the object, you must use 'euch'.

  • Forgetting to capitalize 'Sie' for formal address.

    Ich kenne sie, Herr Müller.
    Ich kenne Sie, Herr Müller.

    Without capitalization, 'sie' means 'her' or 'them'. To address someone formally as 'you', 'Sie' must be capitalized.

  • Confusing accusative 'sie' with dative 'ihnen'.

    Ich sehe ihnen.
    Ich sehe sie.

    The verb 'sehen' takes a direct object (accusative). 'Ihnen' is the dative form and should not be used here.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

uns/euch/sieLevel 1Accusative Pronouns Plural

Learn This First

To understand plural accusative pronouns, you first need to be familiar with the plural subject pronouns (wir, ihr, sie). You also need a basic grasp of the accusative case (direct objects) and how pronouns change from nominative to accusative, which is typically introduced with singular pronouns first.

Words in This Pattern