C2 Case System 5 min read صعب

Verbs requiring both Dative and Genitive (jemanden einer Sache berauben)

At C2, replace 'someone of something' with the Accusative + Genitive construction for formal, precise, and authoritative German.
وضع علامة كمكتسب
تدرّب عليها

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Certain German verbs require a person in the Dative case and a thing in the Genitive case.

  • The person being affected is in the Dative: 'Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann.'
  • The thing being taken is in the Genitive: '...seiner Freiheit.'
  • Combine them: 'Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann seiner Freiheit.'
Subject + Verb + Dative(Person) + Genitive(Thing)

نظرة عامة

Welcome to the upper echelons of German grammar. You have reached C2. This is where the language stops being a tool and starts being an art form.
Today, we are looking at a construction that feels like wearing a three-piece suit to a casual brunch. We are talking about verbs that require two objects: a person (usually in the Akkusativ, though often confused with Dativ) and a thing in the Genitiv. Think of the verb berauben (to rob/deprive).
In English, you rob someone *of* something. In German, you rob someone (Accusative) something (Genitive). No prepositions allowed.
It is sleek. It is precise. It is also quite rare.
You will mostly find these verbs in courtrooms, high-brow literature, or when a journalist wants to sound particularly serious. Mastering this shows you do not just speak German; you command it.

كيف تعمل هذه القاعدة

Most German verbs are happy with one object. Some, like geben, want two: a Dativ (the recipient) and an Akkusativ (the thing). But our special group today swaps the thing for a Genitiv object.
This creates a unique relationship. The first object (the person) is the target of the action. The second object (the Genitive) defines the scope or the what of that action.
Take jemanden einer Sache berauben. The person is the one feeling the loss. The Genitive part is the thing that is gone.
It is like a grammar traffic light. The Accusative tells you who is stopped. The Genitive tells you why the light is red.
This structure eliminates the need for pesky prepositions like von or über. It makes the sentence denser and more formal.

نمط التكوين

1
Building these sentences requires a bit of mental gymnastics. You cannot just wing it. Follow these steps to keep your syntax sharp:
2
Identify your Subject. This is the person or entity doing the action.
3
Choose your Verb. Common candidates are berauben, anklagen, or entheben.
4
Place the Person. Put the person being affected into the Akkusativ case. (Note: While some archaic forms exist, modern high German uses Accusative for the person with these specific verbs).
5
Add the Genitive Object. This is the thing involved. Use the correct Genitive endings (-es, -er, etc.).
6
Check your Word Order. Usually: Subject + Verb + Accusative Object + Genitive Object.
7
Example: Der Richter (Subj) enthebt (Verb) den Minister (Acc) seines Amtes (Gen).

متى نستخدمها

Use this when you want to sound authoritative or precise. In a job interview, you might use jemanden eines Besseren belehren (to prove someone wrong) to show you have a high linguistic range. In legal contexts, it is the standard.
If you are writing a formal report about a crime, jemanden des Mordes anklagen (to accuse someone of murder) is much better than using informal workarounds. It is also perfect for dramatic storytelling. If a character is stripped of their honor, man beraubte ihn seiner Ehre sounds far more tragic than a simple man nahm ihm die Ehre weg.
Think of it as your power move in a debate.

متى لا نستخدمها

Do not use this at the supermarket. If you tell the cashier,
Ich beraube Sie Ihres Wechselgeldes,
they might think you are a very polite time traveler from the 19th century. It is too heavy for daily life.
Avoid it in casual texts, relaxed emails, or when chatting with friends at a bar. Using it in the wrong context makes you sound stiff or even arrogant. If you can replace it with a simple verb + von or über, and the situation is casual, do that instead.
Yes, even native speakers find these verbs a bit extra sometimes. Use them like salt: just enough to add flavor, but don't ruin the whole dish.

الأخطاء الشائعة

The biggest trap is the case of the person. Because we often associate giving/taking with the Dativ, learners often say dem Mann instead of den Mann. Remember: with berauben, anklagen, and bezichtigen, the person is the direct target. They are Akkusativ. Another classic error is forgetting the -s ending on masculine and neuter Genitive nouns. Des Amtes is correct; des Amt is a one-way ticket to a grammar headache. Also, watch out for the von-trap. In C2 exams, if you use von where a Genitive object is expected, you lose that shiny advanced polish. It is a bit like wearing sneakers with a tuxedo. It works, but everyone notices.

مقارنة مع أنماط مشابهة

The most common point of confusion is the difference between these verbs and standard Dative/Accusative verbs.
  • Stehlen (to steal): Er stiehlt dem Mann (Dat) das Geld (Acc). This is for physical theft in everyday life.
  • Berauben (to rob): Er beraubt den Mann (Acc) seines Geldes (Gen). This is formal, often implying a more abstract or serious deprivation.
Another contrast is with beschuldigen vs. vorwerfen.
  • Jemandem etwas vorwerfen: Er wirft mir (Dat) Lügen (Acc) vor. (Casual/Standard).
  • Jemanden einer Sache bezichtigen: Er bezichtigt mich (Acc) der Lüge (Gen). (Formal/Legal).

أسئلة شائعة

Q

Is the person always Accusative?

For the common verbs like berauben and anklagen, yes. The Genitive is the second object.

Q

Can I use this in a business email?

Yes, especially in formal HR contexts, like jemanden seines Amtes entheben (removing someone from office).

Q

Why does German make this so hard?

It isn't hard; it's just precise! Think of it as a specialized tool for high-level communication.

Q

Do I need this for the C2 exam?

Absolutely. Using Genitive objects correctly is a hallmark of the C2 level.

Case Assignment for 'Berauben'

Role Case Example
Victim
Dative
{dem|m} Mann
Stolen Item
Genitive
seines Geldes
Verb
N/A
beraubte

Meanings

These verbs describe an act of deprivation or removal where the victim is marked by the Dative case and the object removed by the Genitive.

1

Deprivation

To take something away from someone forcibly or legally.

“Man beraubte ihn seines Eigentums.”

“Sie entledigte sich ihrer Sorgen.”

2

Release/Disposal

To free oneself from something (reflexive).

“Er entledigte sich seiner Verantwortung.”

“Sie entledigte sich ihrer alten Kleidung.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Verbs requiring both Dative and Genitive (jemanden einer Sache berauben)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subj + Verb + Dat + Gen
Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.
Negative
Subj + Verb + nicht + Dat + Gen
Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann nicht seines Geldes.
Question
Verb + Subj + Dat + Gen?
Beraubte er {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes?
Reflexive
Subj + Verb + sich + Gen
Er entledigte sich seiner Last.

طيف الرسمية

رسمي
Man beraubte {die|f} Bevölkerung ihrer Rechte.

Man beraubte {die|f} Bevölkerung ihrer Rechte. (Political)

محايد
Sie nahmen {den|m} Leuten ihre Rechte weg.

Sie nahmen {den|m} Leuten ihre Rechte weg. (Political)

غير رسمي
Die haben {den|m} Leuten alles weggenommen.

Die haben {den|m} Leuten alles weggenommen. (Political)

عامية
Die haben die abgezogen.

Die haben die abgezogen. (Political)

The Deprivation Map

Berauben

Target

  • Dative The Victim

Object

  • Genitive The Stolen Item
سجّل مجاناً لقراءة الشرح الكامل

أمثلة حسب المستوى

1

Er beraubte {den|m} Mann.

He robbed the man.

2

Sie nahm {das|n} Buch.

She took the book.

1

Man beraubte {den|m} Gast seines Geldes.

They robbed the guest of his money.

2

Er entledigte sich {der|f} Jacke.

He got rid of the jacket.

1

Der Dieb beraubte {die|f} Frau ihrer Tasche.

The thief robbed the woman of her bag.

2

Sie entledigte sich ihrer alten Sorgen.

She got rid of her old worries.

1

Das Gesetz beraubte {die|f} Bürger ihrer Rechte.

The law deprived the citizens of their rights.

2

Er entledigte sich seiner Verantwortung.

He shed his responsibility.

1

Man hat {den|m} Angeklagten seiner Freiheit beraubt.

They have deprived the defendant of his freedom.

2

Sie entledigte sich ihrer Last.

She unburdened herself of her load.

1

Der Diktator beraubte {das|n} Volk seiner Hoffnung.

The dictator robbed the people of their hope.

2

Er entledigte sich seiner Maske.

He cast off his mask.

سهل الخلط

Verbs requiring both Dative and Genitive (jemanden einer Sache berauben) مقابل Berauben vs. Bestehlen

Both mean to steal, but they take different cases.

Verbs requiring both Dative and Genitive (jemanden einer Sache berauben) مقابل Entledigen vs. Loswerden

Both mean to get rid of, but entledigen is formal.

Verbs requiring both Dative and Genitive (jemanden einer Sache berauben) مقابل Berauben vs. Rauben

Rauben takes Accusative for the object.

أخطاء شائعة

✗

Er beraubt {den|m} Mann.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Missing the Genitive object.
✗

Er beraubt {den|m} Geld.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Wrong case for person.
✗

Er beraubt {das|n} Geld.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Accusative instead of Genitive.
✗

Er beraubte {den|m} Mann seiner Geld.

✓

Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Wrong Genitive ending.
✗

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann das Geld.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Accusative instead of Genitive.
✗

Er beraubt {den|m} Mann von seinem Geld.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Using 'von' instead of Genitive.
✗

Er entledigt sich die Sorgen.

✓

Er entledigt sich seiner Sorgen.

Accusative instead of Genitive.
✗

Er beraubt {den|m} Mann seiner Freiheit.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seiner Freiheit.

Accusative for person.
✗

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann seiner Freiheit nicht.

✓

Er beraubt {dem|m} Mann nicht seiner Freiheit.

Word order.
✗

Er beraubte {den|m} König seiner Krone.

✓

Er beraubte {dem|m} König seiner Krone.

Accusative for person.
✗

Er entledigte sich die Last.

✓

Er entledigte sich seiner Last.

Accusative instead of Genitive.
✗

Er beraubte {dem|m} König die Krone.

✓

Er beraubte {dem|m} König seiner Krone.

Accusative instead of Genitive.

أنماط الجُمل

Man beraubte ___ (Person) ___ (Sache).

Er entledigte sich ___ (Sache).

Wessen beraubte man ___ (Person)?

Real World Usage

Legal Report common

Der Täter beraubte {das|n} Opfer seiner Wertsachen.

Literary Novel occasional

Die Zeit beraubte ihn seiner Jugend.

Academic Essay common

Die Krise entledigte {die|f} Regierung ihrer Autorität.

سجّل مجاناً لرؤية جميع الأمثلة
🎯

Check the Case

Always ask: 'Who is the victim?' (Dative) and 'What is the object?' (Genitive).
⚠️

Avoid Accusative

Never use Accusative for the victim with 'berauben'.
💡

Use 'entledigen' for practice

It's a great way to practice the Genitive case in a reflexive structure.

Smart Tips

Think of it as 'rob someone OF something'. The 'OF' is the Genitive.

Er beraubte {den|m} Mann sein Geld. → Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.

Always pair it with 'sich'.

Er entledigte seiner Sorgen. → Er entledigte sich seiner Sorgen.

Use these verbs to sound more precise.

Er hat {den|m} Mann bestohlen. → Er hat {dem|m} Mann seiner Wertsachen beraubt.

النطق

seines [ˈzaɪnəs]

Genitive endings

Ensure the '-es' or '-s' is pronounced clearly.

Formal statement

Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann ↘ seiner Freiheit.

Serious, declarative tone.

احفظها

وسيلة تذكّر

Remember: 'Dative for the victim, Genitive for the loot.'

ربط بصري

Imagine a thief (Subject) taking a wallet (Genitive) from a sad man (Dative).

Rhyme

Dative for the man you rob, Genitive for the job.

Story

A king (Subject) robbed a peasant (Dative) of his land (Genitive). The peasant was sad. The king felt no guilt.

Word Web

beraubenentledigenentziehenberaubtentledigt

تحدٍّ

Write three sentences using 'berauben' and 'entledigen' in 5 minutes.

ملاحظات ثقافية

This phrasing is standard in court reports.

Used to create a sense of tragedy or high stakes.

Derived from Old High German 'biroubon'.

بدايات محادثة

“

Was beraubt uns heute unserer Zeit?

“

Wie kann man sich seiner Sorgen entledigen?

“

Wessen beraubt man jemanden in einem Krieg?

مواضيع للكتابة اليومية

Describe a historical event where a leader deprived people of their rights.
Write about how to get rid of stress.
Reflect on a time you felt deprived of something.

أخطاء شائعة

Incorrect

صحيح

Incorrect

صحيح

Incorrect

صحيح

Incorrect

صحيح

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct case.

Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann ___ (seine Freiheit).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: seiner Freiheit
Genitive is required.
Choose the correct sentence. اختيار متعدد

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.
Dative for person, Genitive for thing.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Sie entledigte sich die Sorgen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sie entledigte sich ihrer Sorgen.
Genitive is required for 'entledigen'.
Translate to German. الترجمة

He robbed the woman of her bag.

Answer starts with: Er ...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Er beraubte {der|f} Frau ihrer Tasche.
Dative for woman, Genitive for bag.

Score: /4

تمارين تطبيقية

4 exercises
Fill in the correct case.

Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann ___ (seine Freiheit).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: seiner Freiheit
Genitive is required.
Choose the correct sentence. اختيار متعدد

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Er beraubte {dem|m} Mann seines Geldes.
Dative for person, Genitive for thing.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Sie entledigte sich die Sorgen.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Sie entledigte sich ihrer Sorgen.
Genitive is required for 'entledigen'.
Translate to German. الترجمة

He robbed the woman of her bag.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Er beraubte {der|f} Frau ihrer Tasche.
Dative for woman, Genitive for bag.

Score: /4

الأسئلة الشائعة (6)

It's a historical valency requirement for these specific verbs.

No, it sounds too formal. Use 'bestehlen' instead.

No, it can be used for abstract things like 'Freiheit' or 'Hoffnung'.

You will sound like a beginner. Practice the Genitive endings!

It's formal, but useful for describing getting rid of burdens.

Yes, 'beschuldigen' (to accuse) also takes the Genitive.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

سجّل مجاناً للتدريب

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Despojar a alguien de algo

Spanish uses a preposition, German uses a case.

French high

Dépouiller quelqu'un de quelque chose

French uses a prepositional phrase.

German n/a

Berauben

None.

Japanese low

～から～を奪う

Japanese marks the victim with 'from' and the object with 'direct object'.

Arabic low

سلب شيئاً من شخص

Arabic structure is verb-object-from-victim.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Adjectival Suffixes for Subtle Nuance (-ig vs. -lich vs. -isch)
Next
Free Relative Clauses with Case-Shifting (Wer... dem...)

Related Grammar Rules

A1

المفعول به في الألمانية: مَن أو ماذا؟ (Akkusativ)

لماذا يتحول `{der|m}` coffee فجأة إلى `{den|m}` coffee عندما تطلبه بالفعل؟ تخيل أنك في مقهى عصري في برلين. تشير إلى القا...
A2

تفسير الأسباب في الماضي: (weil/da)

### Overview تعتبر القدرة على التعبير عن الأسباب في اللغة الألمانية مهارة جوهرية لا غنى عنها لأي متعلم. في هذا المستوى...
A1

حالة النصب الألمانية: استخدام 'den' و 'die' و 'das'

Overview هل تساءلت يوماً لماذا تمتلك اللغة الألمانية ثلاث طرق مختلفة لقول "the" (الـ)، ثم فجأة تقرر إضافة واحدة رابعة فق...
A1

الأدوات الألمانية (der, die, das): أي 'الـ' نستخدم؟

عمرك استغربت ليه الطاولة بتعتبر "هو" بالألماني، بس الباب "هي"؟ أهلاً بيك في العالم العجيب للجنس القواعدي في الألماني. با...
A1

حالة الرفع بعد فعل الكينونة (sein)

Overview حاسس إن قواعد الألماني كأنها شفرة سرية معمولة عشان تمنعك تطلب {ein|m} Kaffee في سلام؟ بتتعلم عن حالات زي الـ No...
Was this helpful?

التعليقات (0)

تسجيل الدخول للتعليق
لا توجد تعليقات بعد. كن أول من يشارك أفكاره!