subjektsformen

Subjektsformen is a term used in grammar to describe the form a word takes when it functions as the subject of a sentence or clause. In languages with case systems, the subjektsformen is typically the nominative form, or the form that marks the subject. For pronouns, subjektsformen are the subject pronouns, which are distinct from their object or oblique forms.

In practice, subjektsformen determine who performs the action and often influence verb agreement. They contrast with objektsformen, which mark the object of a verb or a preposition, and with other inflected forms that may appear in different grammatical roles such as possessive or dative. The exact realization of subjektsformen varies by language.

Examples illustrate the concept across languages. In English, many nouns do not change between subject and object, but pronouns have distinct subject forms (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they) and object forms (me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them). In German, the nominative case marks the subject for nouns and pronouns (e.g., der Mann in the nominative; den Mann in the accusative), and pronouns have separate subjektsformen (ich, du, er, sie, es, wir, ihr, sie). In Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian, pronouns also present separate subject forms (jag/du/han, etc.).

The concept of subjektsformen is central to understanding how languages encode who or what acts in a clause, and it interacts with case systems, pronoun paradigms, and verbal agreement.