What is Nominative Case?
The nominative case identifies the subject of a sentence — the noun or pronoun that performs the action or is being described. In German, the subject determines which form of the article and adjective to use.
The nominative case is the subject case in German. It answers the question 'Who?' or 'What?' and identifies the person or thing performing the action.
- •Subject of verb
- •Answers: Wer? (Who?)
- •Example: Der Mann
- •Accusative: direct object
- •Dative: indirect object
- •Genitive: possession
Step-by-step worked examples
Der Mann ist groß. (The man is tall.) — What case is 'Mann'?
Der Mann = subject Mann is the person the sentence describes Answer: Nominative case
Das Kind spielt. (The child plays.) — Identify the nominative.
Das Kind = subject The child is performing the action Answer: Nominative case
Die Frau fährt nach Berlin. (The woman drives to Berlin.) — Which word is nominative?
Die Frau = subject The woman is who performs the action Answer: Nominative case
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Which sentence uses nominative correctly?
Q2.What question does nominative answer?
Q3.The nominative case is always…
Q4.In 'Die Katze schläft,' what case is 'Katze'?
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What is Nominative Case?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
The nominative is used for objects. — Correct: Nominative is for the subject. Objects use accusative or dative.
You can use nominative after prepositions. — Correct: Nominative follows no prepositions — only certain verb patterns use it.
The nominative article is always 'der'. — Correct: It's der/das/die depending on gender and number.
Nominative is the same as accusative. — Correct: They are different cases with different article and adjective endings.
FAQ
What is nominative case in German?
The case of the subject — the noun performing the action or being described.
What question does nominative answer?
Wer? (Who?) or Was? (What?) — it identifies the subject.
How is nominative used in sentences?
It appears before the verb as the subject: 'Der Mann geht.' (The man goes.)
Can nominative be used after prepositions?
No — nominative stands alone as the subject, not after prepositions.