Ich höre meinen Atem.

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Breakdown of Ich höre meinen Atem.

• hören: to hear
• meinen: my; (masculine, accusative)
• der Atem: the breath

Questions & Answers about Ich höre meinen Atem.

Why is it meinen Atem and not mein Atem?

Because Atem is the direct object of the verb hören (to hear), so it has to be in the accusative case.

• Nominative: mein Atem = my breath as the subject
• Accusative: meinen Atem = my breath as the object

So in Ich höre meinen Atem, I am the subject, and my breath is what I hear.

What gender is Atem?

Atem is masculine: der Atem.

That is why the possessive changes like this:

• mein Atem → nominative masculine
• meinen Atem → accusative masculine

If the noun were neuter or feminine, the form would be different.

How do I know that hören takes the accusative?

In German, hören normally takes a direct object in the accusative, just like to hear in English takes an object.

Examples:

• Ich höre Musik.
• Ich höre den Hund.
• Ich höre meinen Atem.

So whenever you hear something, the thing heard is usually in the accusative.