Guide
German Accusative Case: When der Becomes den
Learn the first German accusative pattern: der becomes den and ein becomes einen, while feminine and neuter articles stay the same.
B1 Atlas · Updated
The German accusative case can look like a new table to memorise. Your first useful version is much smaller.
Compare these two lines:
Der Pass ist hier.
Haben Sie den Pass?
The noun is masculine in both sentences. In the first line, der Pass is the subject. In the question, den Pass is the object. The article shows the change.
For the forms in this guide, learn one move:
der → den
The same move appears in the indefinite article:
ein → einen
B1 Atlas calls this the one-change insight.
Subject or object?
The subject is the person or thing at the centre of the sentence. The direct object answers wen? or was?
Look at the question:
Haben Sie den Pass?
In this question, Sie is the subject. The passport answers was?, so den Pass is the object.
German gives you two short object questions:
| Question | Use it for |
|---|---|
| wen? | a person |
| was? | a thing |
For the passport question, ask was? The answer is den Pass.
The article pattern
Only the masculine row changes in the pattern you need here.
| Noun type | Subject form | Object form | Indefinite object |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | der Pass | den Pass | einen Pass |
| feminine | die Kopie | die Kopie | eine Kopie |
| neuter | das Formular | das Formular | ein Formular |
| plural | die Dokumente | die Dokumente | — |
Read down the object column. The feminine, neuter and plural articles do not move. The visible change is der → den.
The indefinite articles follow the same idea:
- masculine: ein Termin → einen Termin
- feminine: eine Kopie → eine Kopie
- neuter: ein Formular → ein Formular
Why it is einen Termin
Start with the noun record:
der Termin · die Termine
Because der Termin is masculine, its indefinite subject form is ein Termin. When it becomes the object after haben, ein becomes einen:
Ich habe einen Termin.
Use the same process instead of guessing from the English sentence:
- Find the noun: der Termin.
- Decide whether it is the object.
- If it is masculine, change ein → einen or der → den.
The German articles guide shows how to learn the article with every noun. You need that noun record before you can choose the object form.
Three contrasts to say aloud
Read each pair. Point at the article that changes—or stays the same.
Der Pass ist hier. Haben Sie den Pass?
Die Kopie ist hier. Ich habe eine Kopie.
Das Formular ist fertig. Ich habe das Formular.
The first pair changes because der Pass is masculine. The next two pairs keep die and das.
A four-item check
Choose the correct article before you look at the answers.
- Haben Sie ___ Pass? (der/den)
- Ich habe ___ Kopie. (die/den)
- Ich habe ___ Formular. (das/den)
- Ich habe ___ Termin. (ein/einen)
Answers:
- Haben Sie den Pass?
- Ich habe die Kopie.
- Ich habe das Formular.
- Ich habe einen Termin.
Do not stop at recognising the right answer. Cover the answers and say all four complete sentences once.
Use it in one real exchange
Now put the pattern into a short counter exchange:
A: Haben Sie den Pass?
B: Ja, hier ist der Pass. Und das Formular ist auch fertig.
A: Sehr gut. Haben Sie eine Kopie?
B: Natürlich. Ich habe zwei Kopien.
Read both roles. Then cover role B and answer the two questions. You are practising the article change inside a useful exchange, not as an isolated table.
What to learn next
Keep learning every noun with its article. When a masculine noun becomes a direct object, check for der → den or ein → einen. For a short article-and-plural review, use the der, die, das guide.
If sentence order is still new, the first German conversation guide shows the statement, W-question and yes/no-question shapes that carry these objects.
Frequently asked questions
What is the accusative case in German?
The accusative case marks a direct object: the person or thing directly affected by the verb. In Haben Sie den Pass?, den Pass is the object.
When does der change to den?
A masculine der-word changes from der to den when the noun is a direct object: der Pass becomes den Pass. Feminine die, neuter das and plural die stay the same in this beginner pattern.
Why is it einen Termin and not ein Termin?
Termin is masculine. For example: Ich habe einen Termin. Here, the masculine indefinite article ein changes to einen because the noun is the object.
Do die and das change in the accusative case?
Not in the forms covered here. Die Kopie stays die Kopie, and das Formular stays das Formular. The visible article change is in the masculine row.