German Verbs with Dative and Accusative Objects
Some German verbs take two objects: a person and a thing. The person is in the Dativ and the thing is in the Akkusativ. Ich gebe meiner Mutter einen Schal (I give my mother a scarf) has meiner Mutter as the Dativ and einen Schal as the Akkusativ. Two questions split every sentence like this: Wem? (to whom?) finds the person and Was? (what?) finds the thing. This page lists the verbs with Dativ and Akkusativ (Verben mit Dativ und Akkusativ) from the A1 to B1 word lists, with conjugations and example sentences.
to bring along
“Ich bringe eine Flasche Wasser mit.”
I am bringing a bottle of water.
to insure; to assure
to forbid
“Ich verbiete das laute Spielen im Zimmer.”
I forbid the loud playing in the room.
to say
“Ich sage die Wahrheit.”
I say the truth.
to explain
“Ich erkläre die Aufgabe.”
I explain the task.
to believe
“Ich glaube dir.”
I believe you.
to offer
“Ich biete dir einen Kaffee an.”
I offer you a coffee.
to bring
“Ich bringe das Buch zur Schule.”
I bring the book to school.
to accept, to confirm, to promise
to prove
“Ich beweise die Wahrheit.”
I prove the truth.
to align; to organize; to pass on (a message)
“Ich richte den Stuhl aus.”
I align the chair.
to send
“Ich sende dir eine Nachricht.”
I send you a message.
to order
“Ich bestelle eine Pizza.”
I order a pizza.
to promise
to guarantee
“Der Chef garantiert gute Qualität.”
The boss guarantees good quality.
to buy
“Ich kaufe heute Brot.”
I am buying bread today.
to read aloud
to offer
“Ich biete dir Wasser.”
I offer you water.
to give
“Ich gebe dir das Buch.”
I give you the book.
to lend; to borrow
“Ich leihe dem Freund ein Buch.”
I lend the friend a book.
to inform, to communicate
“Ich teile dir die Adresse mit.”
I tell you the address.
to suggest
to send
“Wir schicken die Postkarte morgen.”
We send the postcard tomorrow.
to write
“Ich schreibe einen kurzen Text.”
I write a short text.
to hand in, to deliver
“Ich gebe das Paket heute ab.”
I drop off the package today.
to give as a gift
“Ich schenke meiner Freundin ein Buch.”
I give my friend a book as a gift.
to recommend
“Ich empfehle das Buch.”
I recommend the book.
to transfer money
“Ich überweise das Geld heute.”
I transfer the money today.
to sell
“Ich verkaufe heute ein altes Buch.”
I am selling an old book today.
to give back
“Ich gebe das Buch morgen zurück.”
I will return the book tomorrow.
to prescribe
“Der Arzt verschreibt ein Medikament.”
The doctor prescribes a medicine.
to allow
“Ich erlaube dir das Spiel.”
I allow you the game.
to wish
“Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Tag.”
I wish you a nice day.
to hand; to be enough
“Die großen Flaschen reichen für die Klasse.”
The large bottles are enough for the class.
to show
“Ich zeige dir das Bild.”
I show you the picture.
to tell, to narrate
“Ich erzähle eine kurze Geschichte.”
I tell a short story.
to introduce
“Ich stelle mich der neuen Lehrerin vor.”
I introduce myself to the new teacher.
Practice with Games
Example Sentences
Ich habe meiner Mutter einen Schal geschenkt.
I gave my mother a scarf.
Kannst du mir das Salz geben?
Can you give me the salt?
Er erklärt uns die Regel.
He explains the rule to us.
Sie schickt ihrer Freundin eine Karte.
She sends her friend a card.
Ich zeige euch die Fotos.
I will show you the photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which German verbs take both dative and accusative?
How do I know which object is dative and which is accusative?
What is the word order with two objects?
Can I leave out the dative object?
Is kaufen a dative and accusative verb?
Continue Learning
Dative Verbs and Pronouns Guide
The pronoun table, word order with two objects, and the common mistakes
German Dative Verbs
Verbs whose only object is in the Dativ
German Accusative Verbs
Verbs whose only object is in the Akkusativ
German Cases Explained
All four cases with the article chart