The nominative case is the subject of a sentence, and the genitive case indicates possession. The dative case is the indirect object of a sentence. The accusative case is the direct object of a sentence. Note that the verb sein requires two nominatives! For example, in the sentence Der Schriftsteller ist auch der Filmproduzent, Der Schriftsteller is in the nominative case, as is der Filmproduzent. The sentence translates as “The writer is also the producer.” You can only have two nominatives in a sentence if the verb is a form of “to be.” With a different verb, you would find a nominative and an accusative or a dative case, as in: Der Schriftsteller mag den Filmproduzent. This sentence translates as “The writer likes the producer.”

Exercise 9

Fill in the blanks to the left of the nouns with the correct articles in the proper case and then translate the sentences in the blanks. Hints: Question 1 pertains to the direct object, questions 2 and 3 pertain to the indirect object, the noun in question 4 is in the genitive case, question 5 pertains to the predicate noun, and the noun in question 6 is the subject of the sentence.

• Ich kaufte________________Hut.

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• Er kauft________________Vater einen Hut.

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• Die Frau gibt________________Sohn ein Stück Kuchen.

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• Der Bruder________________Vaters ist gekommen.

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• Herr Zimmermann ist________________ Lehrer.

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• ________________Vater wohnt in Berlin.

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