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TOPIC · Verbs (Verben)

Verbs that take the Nominative case in German

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After this lesson you can correctly use common German verbs that take the Nominativ, like sein, werden, bleiben, heißen and lauten, and identify both subject and predicative noun in the nominative case.

In this lesson you learn which verbs take a Nominativ (nominative case) not only for the subject, but also for the noun that follows the verb, like sein, werden, bleiben, heißen and lauten. These verbs connect two things that are “the same”: a person and a job, a person and a name, a subject and a characteristic.

What is the Nominativ?

The Nominativ is the basic case in German. It is mainly used for the subject of a sentence.

Examples:

  • Der Hund bellt. (Who barks? „Der Hund“ → subject in Nominativ)
  • Meine Schwester lernt Deutsch. (Who learns? „Meine Schwester“ → subject in Nominativ)

With some verbs, the second noun is also in the Nominativ. This second noun is called Prädikatsnomen (predicative noun).

Example:

  • Er ist Lehrer. (Who? „Er“ → Nominativ; What is he? „Lehrer“ → also Nominativ)

Important verbs with Nominativ

These verbs connect two nouns or a noun and an adjective in the Nominativ:

  • sein
  • werden
  • bleiben
  • heißen
  • lauten

Table: Verbs that take the Nominativ

VerbExample sentenceMeaning
seinIch bin Lehrer.I am a teacher.
werdenEr wird Arzt.He becomes a doctor.
bleibenSie bleibt meine beste Freundin.She remains my best friend.
heißenDas Mädchen heißt Anna.The girl is called Anna.
lautenDie Antwort lautet Ja.The answer is “yes”.

How these verbs work in a sentence

1„sein“

sein links the subject and a description in the Nominativ.

  • Ich bin Student. (I am a student.)
  • Das ist ein Haus. (That is a house.)

The words „Student“ and „ein Haus“ are in the Nominativ, because they describe identity.

2„werden“

werden expresses a change into a new state or profession.

  • Sie wird Ärztin. (She becomes a doctor.)
  • Das Wetter wird schön. (The weather becomes nice.)

The words „Ärztin“ and „schön“ are predicatives related to the subject.

3„bleiben“

bleiben emphasizes that something stays the same.

  • Wir bleiben Freunde. (We remain friends.)
  • Er bleibt ruhig. (He stays calm.)

„Freunde“ and „ruhig“ refer directly to the subject.

4„heißen“

heißen is used to say the name of a person or thing.

  • Ich heiße Maria. (My name is Maria.)
  • Unsere Lehrerin heißt Frau Becker. (Our teacher is called Ms Becker.)

The name is in the Nominativ just like the subject.

5„lauten“

lauten is used with answers, titles and formulations.

  • Der Titel des Buches lautet „Neue Geschichten“. (The title of the book is “Neue Geschichten”.)
  • Die Lösung lautet vier. (The solution is four.)

Typical mistakes and tips

  • Don’t use the Akkusativ after these verbs for jobs or roles:
    • Wrong: Er ist den Lehrer.
    • Correct: Er ist Lehrer.
  • You may repeat the article in the Nominativ:
    • Die Frau ist die Chefin. (The woman is the boss.)
    • Der Mann ist der Chef. (The man is the boss.)

Practice making sentences with these verbs and mark both Nominativ forms: the subject and the Prädikatsnomen.