what is it?
A small group of German prepositions always requires the accusative case on every noun phrase that follows them. The six core accusative-only prepositions are durch (through), für (for), gegen (against / around), ohne (without), um (around / at), and bis (until / up to). Because they are fixed to the accusative, there is no case choice to make — the case is determined entirely by the preposition itself.
when to use it
durch — movement or passage through a space or medium: durch den Tunnel fahren (to drive through the tunnel).
für — purpose, benefit, or intended recipient: ein Geschenk für meine Mutter (a gift for my mother).
gegen — opposition, collision, or approximate time: gegen den Wind (against the wind); gegen acht Uhr (around eight o'clock).
ohne — absence or lack of something: ohne einen Plan (without a plan).
um — circular movement around something, or a point in time: um den Tisch (around the table); um drei Uhr (at three o'clock).
bis — a limit in time or space: bis nächsten Montag (until next Monday). Note: bis is often used without an article, especially with place names and bare time expressions.
formation
The accusative changes the form of the definite article, indefinite article, and possessive determiners. The only gender where the article form visibly changes from the nominative is masculine singular: der → den and ein → einen. Feminine, neuter, and plural forms are identical to the nominative.
| gender | nominative | accusative | example phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | der / ein | den / einen | durch den Park / für einen Mann |
| feminine | die / eine | die / eine | ohne die Tasche / für eine Frau |
| neuter | das / ein | das / ein | um das Haus / durch ein Fenster |
| plural | die / — | die / — | gegen die Regeln |
Possessive determiners follow the same pattern: mein Bruder (nominative, masculine) becomes meinen Bruder (accusative, masculine). Feminine and neuter possessives are unchanged: für meine Mutter, ohne mein Buch.
examples in context
common pitfalls
Using dative endings after accusative-only prepositions. Learners sometimes apply dative endings — especially -em for masculine/neuter — because dative is common with many other prepositions. With durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis the accusative is always correct, regardless of movement or location.
✗ für dem Kind — dative ending, wrong here.
✓ für das Kind — accusative, correct.
Forgetting to change "der" to "den" for masculine nouns. The accusative shift is only visible in the masculine singular, so it is easy to overlook. Always check: if the noun is masculine, the definite article must be den and an indefinite article must be einen after these prepositions.
✗ Ich gehe durch der Park.
✓ Ich gehe durch den Park.