Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns in German

This section explains Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns in German and includes foundation and higher tier examples.

Introduction to the Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns

In German, object pronouns (both direct and indirect) are used to replace nouns that function as the direct object (accusative) or the indirect object (dative) of a sentence. One important aspect of German grammar is the word order, particularly when both direct and indirect object pronouns are used in the same sentence.

In this section, we will focus on the position of object pronouns in German sentences, which can differ depending on whether you are using a direct object pronoun, an indirect object pronoun, or both.

Position of Object Pronouns

Basic Word Order:

In German, the general word order in a statement (declarative sentence) is:

Subject + Verb + Other elements (direct object, indirect object, etc.)

When object pronouns are used, they usually come before the main verb in a simple sentence. However, direct and indirect object pronouns change their position depending on whether the sentence involves both types of objects (direct and indirect objects).

Direct Object Pronouns and Indirect Object Pronouns in Simple Sentences

Direct Object Pronouns (Accusative)

Direct object pronouns replace the direct object in a sentence and are used when the action is done directly to the object.

Indirect Object Pronouns (Dative)

Indirect object pronouns replace the indirect object in a sentence, which indicates who benefits from or receives the action of the verb.

Position of Object Pronouns in Sentences

Indirect Object Pronoun + Direct Object Pronoun (Dative + Accusative)

When both an indirect object pronoun (dative) and a direct object pronoun (accusative) are used in a sentence, the general rule is:

• The indirect object pronoun (dative) comes before the direct object pronoun (accusative).

Examples:

• Er gibt mir das Buch.
  (He gives me the book.)
  (dative: mir, accusative: das Buch)
• Er gibt es mir.
  (He gives it to me.)
  (dative: mir, accusative: es)
• Sie schickt uns eine E-Mail.
  (She sends us an email.)
  (dative: uns, accusative: eine E-Mail)
• Er zeigt sie uns.
  (He shows them to us.)
  (dative: uns, accusative: sie)

Object Pronouns with Modal Verbs

When using a modal verb (e.g., können – can, müssen – must), the object pronouns still follow the same rule for dative before accusative.

• Wir müssen dir das Buch geben.
  (We must give you the book.)
  (dative: dir, accusative: das Buch)
• Ich kann es dir zeigen.
  (I can show it to you.)
  (dative: dir, accusative: es)

Word Order in Questions

In questions, the word order changes depending on the question type (yes/no questions or information questions).

Yes/No Questions (Inversion)

In yes/no questions, the verb comes first, followed by the subject and the object pronouns.

• Hast du mir das Buch gegeben?
  (Have you given me the book?)
  (verb: hast, subject: du, dative: mir, accusative: das Buch)
• Kannst du es mir zeigen?
  (Can you show it to me?)
  (verb: kannst, subject: du, accusative: es, dative: mir)

Information Questions (Question Word + Verb)

In information questions, the question word (e.g., wer, was, wie) comes first, followed by the verb and the pronouns.

• Was gibst du mir?
  (What are you giving me?)
  (question word: was, subject: du, dative: mir)
• Woher hast du es mir gebracht?
  (Where did you bring it to me from?)
  (question word: woher, subject: du, accusative: es, dative: mir)

Position of Object Pronouns with Other Sentence Structures

With Separable Verbs:

When a separable verb (e.g., aufstehen, mitbringen) is used, the separable prefix moves to the end of the sentence. The object pronouns still follow the rule for dative before accusative.

• Ich bringe es dir mit.
  (I’ll bring it to you.)
  (separable verb: mitbringen, dative: dir, accusative: es)
• Kannst du mir das erklären?
  (Can you explain it to me?)
  (separable verb: erklären, dative: mir, accusative: das)

Key Vocabulary:

• das Pronomen = the pronoun
• direktes Objekt = direct object
• indirektes Objekt = indirect object
• trennbares Verb = separable verb
• Fragewort = question word

Summary

• Direct object pronouns (accusative) replace the direct object in the sentence (e.g., mich, dich, sie).
• Indirect object pronouns (dative) replace the indirect object (e.g., mir, dir, uns).
• When both direct and indirect object pronouns are used, the indirect object pronoun comes first (before the direct object pronoun).
• In questions, the verb comes first in yes/no questions, followed by the subject and object pronouns.
• With separable verbs, the prefix goes to the end, but the position of object pronouns remains the same.

Understanding the correct position of object pronouns is essential for forming accurate and grammatically correct sentences in German.