0001: GERMAN: SOME VERBS & THE CASES

INFINITIVE --PRESENT----IMPERFECT--PAST Participle
(3rd. Sing.) (1st.& 3rd.Sing.)
beginnen--beginnt------------begann-------------begonnen

bleiben----bleibt-------------blieb----------------geblieben

essen-----isst--------------ass---------------------gegessen

gehen----geht----------ging------------------------gegangen

kommen----kommt-------kam--------------------gekommen

lügen---lügt-----------log--------gelogen----to- tell a- lie

tragen---trägt-------------trug--------------getragen--- to carry

stossen----stösst-----------stiess-------------gestossen-- to push

tun------tut-------------tat-----------------getan---- to do

THE CASES

The nominative:
The Mädchen singt. ---------------- The girl is singing.

The accusative:
Er hat ein Lied gesungen.-----------He sang a song.

The dative:
Er gab dem Mann das Buch.----------------- He gave the man the book.

The genitive:
Das sind Herrn Kluges Blumen.----------------- Those are Mr. kluge'd flowers.

Let's try to understand how they work in English:

• When a noun or pronoun is used as the subject of a verb, it is said to be in the Nominative case.

• When a noun or pronoun is used as the object of a verb, it is said to be in the Accusative case.

The horse kicked the child.
Raju threw a ball.
In the sentences, the horse and Raju - are subjects, therefore, they are in the nominative case.
and the child and ball are objects, therefore, they are in the accusative case.

• Compare -

Rama gave a ball.
Rama gave Hari a ball.
Noun -ball is the object of the verb-gave. In the second sentence - Hari was the person to whom Ram gave a ball.
Hari is called the Indirect Object. Ball, the ordinary object, is called - the direct object.
In German, Ball is in the accusative case and Hari is in the Dative case.

• Some more example:

Rama gave Hari a ball - Rama gave a ball to Hari.
I bought Rama a ball - I bought a ball for Rama.
She made Rekha a new dress ---She made a new dress for Rekha.
Will you do me a fovour?--- Will you do a favour to me?
Fetch the boy a book - Fetch a book for the boy.
Get me a taxi - Get a taxi for me.

We see that Indirect object denotes the person to whom something is given or for whom something is done.

• This is Ram's umbrella.

Umbrella belonging to Rama.
Ram's is therefore said to be in the Genitive ( Possessive) case.