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Verbs with genitive objects

You probably already know the genitive case as the German way to show possession. However, the genitive is also required by a small, highly formal group of verbs. Where English relies on prepositions to say that someone is accused of a crime or robbed of their belongings, German can express this relationship directly through the genitive case.

Verbs like anklagen, verdächtigen and bedürfen belong to this special category. Because they appear frequently in journalism, literature and legal contexts, mastering them is a great way to elevate your German.

Word list
beschuldigenB1 to blame jemanden eines Fehlers beschuldigen anklagenB2 to accuse jemanden eines Verbrechens anklagen beraubenB2 to rob jemanden seiner Sachen berauben beschuldigenB2 to accuse jemanden einer Tat beschuldigen verdächtigenB2 to suspect jemanden eines Verbrechens verdächtigen bedürfenC1 to need einer Sache bedürfen entledigenC1 to get rid of sich einer Sache entledigen
Direct and Reflexive Genitives

A few verbs take a genitive object directly without needing an accusative person in the sentence. The most common example is bedürfen, which is a highly formal way to say that something requires or is in need of something else. You simply follow the verb with the genitive noun.

Diese wichtige Entscheidung bedarf einer gründlichen Erklärung.
(This important decision requires a thorough explanation.)

Another pattern involves reflexive verbs. With entledigen, the person getting rid of something is the subject, the verb is used reflexively, and the discarded item takes the genitive case.

Nach dem langen Spaziergang entledigte er sich seiner nassen Schuhe.
(After the long walk, he got rid of his wet shoes.)
Accusative Person and Genitive Thing

The largest group of genitive verbs involves a specific pattern. You use the accusative case for the person involved, and the genitive case for the thing or the action. You will see this structure most often with verbs related to crimes, accusations and suspicion.

Verbs such as beschuldigen, anklagen and verdächtigen all follow this exact pattern. The person being accused is the direct object, while the crime itself is in the genitive.

Die Polizei verdächtigt die Frau des Diebstahls.
(The police suspect the woman of theft.)
Der Chef beschuldigt seinen Mitarbeiter eines schweren Fehlers.
(The boss blames his employee for a grave mistake.)
Die Staatsanwaltschaft klagt den Politiker der Korruption an.
(The public prosecutor accuses the politician of corruption.)

The verb berauben belongs to this same structural family, substituting an accusation with theft.

Die Diebe haben ihn all seiner Wertsachen beraubt.
(The thieves robbed him of all his valuables.)
Watch Out: Formal Style and Alternatives

Because these verbs belong to a formal style, they can sound overly dramatic in casual conversation. Everyday spoken German often finds ways around them. For instance, instead of using bedürfen, people will usually just use the standard verb brauchen with a normal accusative object.

Furthermore, even in the news, you will often hear alternatives for the accusation verbs. With anklagen, it is very common to use the preposition wegen followed by the genitive, rather than using a pure genitive object.

Die Staatsanwaltschaft klagt den Politiker wegen Korruption an.
(The public prosecutor indicts the politician on charges of corruption.)
Summary

The genitive case is not just for showing possession. A select group of formal verbs uses it to express what someone is accused of, robbed of, or what is needed. When learning these verbs, always memorize their full sentence structure. Many require an accusative object for the person and a genitive object for the thing, completely replacing the need for an English preposition like of.