mich/dich/ihn
Accusative Pronouns Singular
Accusative pronouns replace nouns that are the direct object (the 'what' or 'who') of an action. They are also required after prepositions like 'für' or 'ohne'.
How It Works
The accusative case is primarily used for the direct object—the person or thing receiving the action of the verb.
1. The Forms:
- mich: me
- dich: you (informal)
- ihn: him / it (masculine)
- sie: her / it (feminine)
- es: it (neuter)
2. Gender Matching:
Unlike English, where 'it' is used for almost all objects, German uses ihn for masculine nouns (e.g., der Tisch), sie for feminine nouns (e.g., die Tasche), and es for neuter nouns (e.g., das Buch).
3. Prepositions:
Certain accusative prepositions always trigger these forms, regardless of the verb used. For example: Das ist für dich (That is for you).
4. Word Order:
In a standard sentence, the pronoun usually follows the conjugated verb. If there are two pronouns (dative and accusative), the accusative pronoun typically comes first (e.g., Er gibt es mir).
Examples (5)
- Ich liebe dich.
I love you.
Word by Word: I love you.
'dich' is the direct object of the verb 'lieben'.
- Siehst du den Hund? Ja, ich sehe ihn.
Do you see the dog? Yes, I see it/him.
Word by Word: See you the dog? Yes, I see him.
Because 'Hund' is masculine (der Hund), we must use 'ihn' to refer to it.
- Das Geschenk ist für mich.
The gift is for me.
Word by Word: The gift is for me.
The preposition 'für' always requires the accusative case.
- Ich habe eine Tasche. Ich trage sie.
I have a bag. I am carrying it.
Word by Word: I have a bag. I carry her.
'Tasche' is feminine (die Tasche), so we use 'sie' to mean 'it'.
- Wo ist das Kind? Ich suche es.
Where is the child? I am looking for him/her/it.
Word by Word: Where is the child? I search it.
'Kind' is neuter (das Kind), so we use 'es'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'es' for all inanimate objects.
Ich habe den Schlüssel. Ich habe es.Ich habe den Schlüssel. Ich habe ihn.In German, you must use the pronoun that matches the noun's gender. Since 'Schlüssel' is masculine (der Schlüssel), you must use 'ihn', not 'es'.
Confusing accusative pronouns with dative pronouns.
Ich helfe dich.Ich helfe dir.Some verbs require the dative case instead of the accusative. 'Helfen' is a dative verb, so you must use 'dir' instead of 'dich'.
Forgetting to change 'er' to 'ihn'.
Ich besuche er.Ich besuche ihn.While 'sie' and 'es' look the same in nominative and accusative, 'er' must change to 'ihn' when it is the object.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand accusative pronouns, you need to be familiar with the basic subject pronouns (nominative) and have a foundational understanding of how the accusative case marks the direct object of a sentence.
- ich/du/er/sie/esPersonal Pronouns Singular
Learners must first know the nominative (subject) forms of singular personal pronouns before learning their accusative (object) counterparts.
Level 1 - Accusative Case Articles
Understanding how the accusative case functions with articles, particularly the change in the masculine gender, is essential for applying the same logic to pronouns like 'ihn'.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- mir/dir/ihmDative Pronouns Singular
These are the indirect object (dative) versions of the pronouns.
Level 2 - für/durch/gegen/ohne/umAccusative Prepositions
These prepositions always require the use of accusative pronouns.
Level 1 - The Four Cases
Provides the conceptual background for why pronouns change forms.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice mich/dich/ihn in Bubblegum
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