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Position of object pronouns

Stellung der Objektpronomen

When an is a , the pronoun comes before the .

Structure

Verb + Akkusativpronomen + Dativ(pronomen/Nomen)

verb + accusative pronoun + dative (pronoun/noun)

Details

Part of Speech
Pronoun
Word Type
Object order
Register
Standard

Explanation

changes when objects become pronouns. The rule depends on what kind of objects you have:

  • noun + noun before : Ich gebe dem Kind den Ball.
  • pronoun + noun → the comes first: Ich gebe ihm den Ball. / Ich gebe es dem Kind.
  • pronoun + pronounaccusative before dative: Ich gebe es ihm.

Pronouns generally move toward the front, right after the conjugated .

Examples:

  • Ich gebe es dir morgen. - I'll give it to you tomorrow. (es = accusative pronoun first)
  • Er schenkt ihn ihr. - He gives it to her. (accusative ihn before dative ihr)
  • Ich zeige ihn dem Lehrer. - I show it to the teacher. (pronoun ihn before noun)

Common mistakes: The trickiest is + pronoun, where the order flips to accusative first: Ich gebe es ihm, not Ich gebe ihm es. With nouns the still comes first, so don't apply the rule there.

About Position of object pronouns

When an is a , the pronoun comes before the .

Order rules: +noun → Dat+Akk; +noun → pronoun first; pronoun+pronoun → Akk+Dat. Pronouns move toward the .

Ist ein ein , steht der vor dem .

Caution

Two nouns: dative before accusative. But a pronoun always comes first, and accusative pronoun precedes dative: 'Ich gebe es dir.'

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