A case (case) is referred to as a nominative, also a case or a case. The case indicates the relationship between a noun and the other elements in the sentence. The nominative is the basic form of the noun, whereby the subject is always nominative in a sentence. Furthermore, the nominative is the most frequently used case in the German grammar.
The case can be made using the demand Who or what? ask. For this, a question is asked from the respective sentence, which asks for the corresponding noun. In practice this is as follows:
Set: The footballer shoots in the extension a gate.
Question: Who or what will score a goal in the extra time?
Answer: The footballer.
In the example above, the answer to the question of who / what is clear. The footballer is therefore the subject of the sentence and is also nominative. Another example.
Sentence: A bear runs through the forest.
Question: Who or what runs through the forest?
Answer: A bear.
Also in this example, we get a clear answer using the Who / What question. From this it can be concluded that a bear is the subject of the sentence and is also in the nominative.
Articles, adjectives and pronouns in the nominative
Some nouns adapt themselves to the case of a nominee. This adjustment is called declination. Also in the nominative, the companions of the noun (article), their deputies (pronouns) and the related nouns (adjectives) have to adjust to the noun. The individual word types are therefore declined. The following is a table overview.
When is a noun or pronoun in the nominative?
There are constellations that force the nominative in a sentence. A noun or pronoun is used in the first case when it is used as subject, apposition, predicative to subject, salutation, or as an absolute noun. The following is an overview of the possibilities.
1. As the subject of the sentence
Franz hunts a bear.
I love you!
The shopping cart is broken.
2. Apposition to a nominative (closer determination)
Franz, a young man, chases a bear.
The shopping cart, a faithful companion, is broken.
3. As a predicative to the subject
Walther becomes a teacher.
Pong remains the most famous video game in history.
Magdalena is a girl.
4. Salutation (initial salutation)
Welcome, Frau Schulz.
Dear friend, I write to you today […]
Come to me later, Magdalena.
5. absolute nominative (outside the actual sentence)
An accident? They met the baker every day.
To give: delicious fruit cake
We want to create peace, a great task.
Exercises for the case
Below you will find some exercises for this case. The content of the above contribution is queried. If in the course of the exercise there are any uncertainties or you do not know what the correct answer is, check the post again.
In May 2017, all exercises will be revised on word growth. Because this exercise is currently under review, it is not available. In the next days she should be available again. For further questions on the grammar, please refer to the index.