Voted Best Answer
Jan 07, 2016 - 08:05 AM
Sie is nominative and accusative whereas Ihnen is dative.
Sie sind nett. (Nominative, because it is the subject of the sentence)
Ich kann Sie sehen. (Accusative because it is the direct object of the sentence)
Ich gebe Ihnen ein Buch. (Dative because it is the indirect object of the sentence)
The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to the English "he" and "him".
He is nice. (Er ist nett.) {Nominative-Subject}
I can see him. (Ich kann ihn sehen.) {Accusative-Direct object}
I give him a book. (Ich gebe ihm ein Buch.) {Dative-Indirect object}
NOTE: They are not interchangeable! Which case one uses is dependant on the role it plays in the sentence, if it follows a preposition, and sometimes the verb.
Sie sind nett. (Nominative, because it is the subject of the sentence)
Ich kann Sie sehen. (Accusative because it is the direct object of the sentence)
Ich gebe Ihnen ein Buch. (Dative because it is the indirect object of the sentence)
The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to the English "he" and "him".
He is nice. (Er ist nett.) {Nominative-Subject}
I can see him. (Ich kann ihn sehen.) {Accusative-Direct object}
I give him a book. (Ich gebe ihm ein Buch.) {Dative-Indirect object}
NOTE: They are not interchangeable! Which case one uses is dependant on the role it plays in the sentence, if it follows a preposition, and sometimes the verb.