Verb Valency: Which Case Does the Verb Take?
Not all German verbs work the same way — the verb itself determines what case its objects must take. Understanding verb valency means knowing how many objects a verb needs and which cases those objects require. This saves you from the common trap of always reaching for the accusative.
Some verbs demand a dative object (helfen, gefallen, danken), while others take both a dative and an accusative (geben, zeigen, erklären). Learning which verb goes with which case pattern is one of the most practical steps you can take at the B1 level.
What Is Verb Valency?
Valency (German: Valenz) describes how many objects a verb can or must take, and what grammatical case each object requires. Think of a verb as having "slots" that must be filled:
- Zero-valent – no object needed (Es regnet. — It's raining.)
- One-valent (intransitive) – subject only (Das Kind schläft. — The child sleeps.)
- Two-valent (transitive) – subject + one object (Er liest ein Buch. — He reads a book.)
- Three-valent – subject + two objects (Sie gibt dem Kind ein Buch. — She gives the child a book.)
The critical point: German verbs specify the case of their objects. You cannot simply guess accusative every time.
Accusative Verbs
The most common pattern is a verb taking a direct accusative object. These are called transitive verbs.
Common accusative verbs:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| kaufen | to buy | Ich kaufe einen Apfel. |
| sehen | to see | Er sieht den Hund. |
| haben | to have | Wir haben ein Auto. |
| machen | to do/make | Sie macht ihre Hausaufgaben. |
| brauchen | to need | Ich brauche mehr Zeit. |
| lieben | to love | Er liebt seine Arbeit. |
With accusative objects, masculine nouns change: der → den and ein → einen. Feminine and neuter nouns look the same in nominative and accusative.
Dative Verbs
Some verbs take a dative object instead of accusative. These must be memorized — the pattern is not predictable from meaning alone.
Common dative-only verbs:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| helfen | to help | Ich helfe meiner Mutter. |
| danken | to thank | Er dankt dem Lehrer. |
| gefallen | to please / to like | Das gefällt mir. |
| gehören | to belong to | Das Buch gehört meinem Bruder. |
| folgen | to follow | Der Hund folgt dem Kind. |
| glauben (+ person) | to believe s.o. | Ich glaube dir. |
| passen | to suit / to fit | Das passt ihm nicht. |
| fehlen | to be missing | Du fehlst mir. |
Tip for gefallen: Germans say Das gefällt mir (lit. "That pleases me"). The subject is the thing being liked, and the person who likes it is in the dative. This is the reverse of English word order.
Verbs with Two Objects (Dative + Accusative)
Several common verbs take two objects: an indirect object in the dative and a direct object in the accusative.
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| geben | to give | Ich gebe dem Kind ein Buch. |
| zeigen | to show | Er zeigt mir den Weg. |
| schicken | to send | Sie schickt ihrer Freundin eine Nachricht. |
| erklären | to explain | Der Lehrer erklärt den Schülern die Aufgabe. |
| bringen | to bring | Er bringt seiner Mutter Blumen. |
Word order rule: When both objects are nouns, dative usually comes before accusative. When the accusative object is a pronoun, the pronoun moves first: Er gibt es dem Kind. (He gives it to the child.)
📖 Examples
Ich helfe meiner Mutter in der Küche.
I help my mother in the kitchen.
Er kauft einen neuen Laptop.
He is buying a new laptop.
Das Kleid gefällt mir sehr gut.
I like the dress very much. (lit. The dress pleases me very much.)
Das Fahrrad gehört meinem Bruder.
The bicycle belongs to my brother.
Wir geben dem Kind ein Geschenk.
We give the child a present.
Sie dankt ihrem Lehrer für die Hilfe.
She thanks her teacher for the help.
Der Hund folgt dem kleinen Mädchen überall hin.
The dog follows the little girl everywhere.
Er erklärt den Schülern die schwierige Aufgabe.
He explains the difficult task to the students.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Ich helfe dich.Ich helfe dir.
'helfen' is a dative verb. The object must be dative (dir, ihm, ihr, uns, euch, ihnen), not accusative (dich, ihn, sie). English says 'I help you' with no case marking, which makes this invisible to native English speakers.
Das gefällt mich.Das gefällt mir.
'gefallen' takes a dative object. The person who likes something is expressed in the dative — 'mir', not 'mich'. The structure is the reverse of English: the thing liked is the subject, and the person is the dative object.
Ich danke dich für alles.Ich danke dir für alles.
'danken' requires a dative object. Think of it as 'I give thanks TO you', which explains the dative. 'Dich' is accusative and cannot be used here.
Er gibt mir es.Er gibt es mir.
When both objects are pronouns, the accusative pronoun (es) always comes before the dative pronoun (mir). The rule is: accusative pronoun before dative pronoun, regardless of the typical dative-before-accusative noun order.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which case does the verb 'helfen' require for its object?
Choose the correct form: 'Das Buch gehört ___.'
Which sentence uses the correct case with 'gefallen'?
Complete the sentence: 'Ich gebe ___ eine Tasse Tee.' (referring to my sister)
Which of these verbs takes an accusative direct object?
Both objects are pronouns. Which word order is correct for 'He gives it to me'?
Ich ___ (helfen) meiner Schwester bei den Hausaufgaben.
Das neue Restaurant ___ (gefallen) meinen Eltern sehr.
Er ___ (zeigen) dem Touristen den Weg zum Bahnhof.
Die Kinder ___ (danken) dem Lehrer für den Ausflug.