The four cases in German are not easy to learn. While my blog post on the topic explains the logic of the case system and where the cases are normally positioned in a sentence in terms of German syntax, some students find it a lot easier to practice the difference between accusative and dative case by learning verbs that go with either or both cases. To simplify matters, I have therefore designed the infographic below, which contains the most common case specific verbs in German. Below the graphic, you'll find sample sentence that offer further clarification of the cases.
German Verbs with Accusative Case
Ich muss den Termin leider absagen.
(Unfortunately, I have to cancel the appointment)
Sie besucht ihre Freundin in Berlin.
(She visits her friend in Berlin)
Er fragt den Lehrer.
(He asks the teacher)
Verbs with Dative and Accusative Case in German
Der Lehrer beantwortet ihm (dative) seine Frage (accusative).
(The teacher answers his question)
Ich erkläre meinen Schüler:innen (dative) oft die vier Fälle (accusative).
(I often explain the four cases to my students)
Ich leihe meinen Freunden (dative) Bücher (accusative).
(I lent books to my friends)
Verbs with Dative Case
Es geht ihm heute sehr gut.
(He is very well today)
Sie tritt einer politischen Partei (dative) bei.
(She joins a political party)
Der Lehrer hilft seinen Schüler:innen (dative)/
(The teacher helps his students)
Dative verbs in German need to be memorised as they don't follow any logic.
You will find more examples and a comprehensive explanation of the German case system on my blog.
On our blog, you will also find many other explanations of German grammar, such as adjective ending rules in German and German gender rules.
