A noun or pronoun is in the nominative case when is carries out one of two primary functions in a sentence.

1) Subject The subject of the sentence is the person, thing, idea or entity doing the action or carrying out the meaning of the verb. It answers the question: Who or what is doing <insert the meaning of the verb here>? EXAMPLES: Das Auto fhrt sehr schnell. The car is driving very quickly. Meine Mutter schreibt schn. My mother writes beautifully. Du hast schicke Schuhe. You have chic shoes. 2) Predicate noun A predicate noun or predicate nominative is a noun that restates the subject. A predicate noun can occur only with the verbs sein, heien, werden, and occasionally bleiben. EXAMPLES: Ich werde Lehrer. I am becoming a teacher. Mein Bruder heit Karl. My brother's name is Karl. Das Geschenk ist ein Buch. The gift is a book. "I" and "teacher" refer to the same person. "I" is the subject, "teacher" the predicate nom. The subject "my brother" and the predicate nominative "Karl" are the very same person. The subject "the gift" and the predicate nominative "the book" are the very same thing. "The car" is doing the action of driving and is therefore the subject. "My mother" is doing the action of writing and is therefore the subject. "You" is the doing the "having" and is therefore the subject.

To test for a predicate noun, try replacing the verb in the sentence with an equal sign (=). If the equation remains true -- namely, if the subject and the verbal complement are two ways of referring to the very same thing -- then you have found a predicate noun. Nouns and pronouns in the NOMINATIVE CASE Note that the simplest sentence that can be formed consists of a subject and a verb (e.g., Er geht. or Das Kind schlft.) Because every sentence has a subject, every sentence will have at least one noun or pronoun in the nominative case.

Nouns Masculine der Onkel dieser Onkel ein Onkel kein Onkel unser Onkel Feminine die Tante diese Tante eine Tante keine Tante unsere Tante Neuter Plural

Personal Pronouns

das Buch die Kinder dieses diese Kinder Buch Kinder ein Buch keine Kinder kein Buch unsere unser Buch Kinder

ich du er, sie, es wir ihr Sie, sie