Question 1

When do you use haben vs sein in German Perfekt?

Accepted Answer

Use sein with verbs of movement from A to B (fahren, gehen, kommen, fliegen) or change of state (werden, aufwachen, einschlafen). Use haben with everything else, including all transitive verbs. No direct object is a strong hint for sein.

Question 2

What is the difference between Akkusativ and Dativ in German?

Accepted Answer

Akkusativ marks the direct object — the thing directly receiving the action. Dativ marks the indirect object — usually a person. For two-way prepositions (in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen): use Dativ when answering Wo? (location), and Akkusativ when answering Wohin? (movement toward).

Question 3

What are the German articles der, die, das?

Accepted Answer

German has three grammatical genders: masculine (der), feminine (die), neuter (das). In plural, all genders use die. Articles change by case: in Akkusativ, masculine becomes den. In Dativ, they become dem (m), der (f), dem (n), den+n (pl).

German Grammar Cheat Sheets — Free A1 & A2