Object Pronouns

Object pronouns replace noun phrases that receive an action, making speech and writing more concise and natural. This guide goes over the key pronouns and how to use them.

Direct Object Pronouns

Direct object pronouns replace a noun that directly receives an action; they typically appear shortly before a conjugated verb or attached to an infinitive or participle.

German Word(s)	English Word(s)	Pronoun	Example Sentence
den Hund	the dog (m.)	ihn	Ich sehe ihn.
die Katze	the cat (f.)	sie	Du fütterst sie.
das Auto	the car (n.)	es	Wir reparieren es.
die Kinder	the children (pl.)	sie	Ihr ruft sie.
einen Apfel	an apple (m.)	ihn	Ich esse ihn.
eine Tasche	a bag (f.)	sie	Sie trägt sie.
ein Buch	a book (n.)	es	Er liest es.
Bücher	books (pl.)	sie	Ich habe sie.

Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect object pronouns indicate to whom or for whom an action is done; in German they often take the dative case and appear before direct object pronouns.

English Word(s)	German Word(s)	Dative Pronoun	Example Sentence
to me	mir	mir	Er gibt mir den Ball.
to you (informal)	dir	dir	Ich kaufe dir das Buch.
to him	ihm	ihm	Sie zeigt ihm den Weg.
to her	ihr	ihr	Wir senden ihr die Karte.
to us	uns	uns	Du bringst uns den Kuchen.
to you (plural)	euch	euch	Ich erzähle euch die Geschichte.
to them	ihnen	ihnen	Er leiht ihnen das Fahrrad.
to you (formal)	Ihnen	Ihnen	Sie geben Ihnen das Geschenk.

Placement

In main clauses, indirect (dative) pronouns normally come before direct (accusative) pronouns; both precede a conjugated verb. In subordinate clauses, pronouns follow the same order but the verb moves to the end.

-en Verbs and Dative

Some verbs require objects in the dative case to mark the recipient or beneficiary of an action; learning common dative verbs helps you choose the correct pronoun form.

Summary

Direct object pronouns replace accusative nouns that receive an action, while indirect object pronouns replace dative nouns that indicate to or for whom something is done.

Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025