Accusative: the direct object

The accusative marks the person or thing directly affected by the verb. Masculine articles change: der → den and ein → einen.

Ask what or whom the action affects: What do I buy? einen Apfel.

Only masculine articles visibly change in these basic singular forms.

Feminine stays die/eine; neuter stays das/ein; plural definite stays die.

Some verbs often take an accusative object: haben, brauchen, kaufen, nehmen, lesen.

Ich trinke den Kaffee.

Sie kauft eine Tasche.

Wir lesen das Buch.