Questions tagged [sentence-structure]
Satzbau – Questions relating to the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.
482
questions
1
vote
1answer
56 views
Negation order in the sentence when it's emphasized. Is it after or before adverb?
I know that basically the order in German is SVO (Subject, Verb, Object). And in some cases when we want to show more emphasis on an adverb, or here in this example to show more emphasis on negation ...
3
votes
4answers
85 views
How would one express the sentiment of “stopping regrets”?
In English, we often use a syntax of the following structure:
"I have to stop with all these regrets"
It's an interesting phraseology, especially since it feel almost idiomatic because "stop with" ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
“Oft schon habe ich dich von Herzen bedauert, dass du Tag für Tag die schwersten Lasten tragen und vom Morgen bis Abend arbeiten musst.”
What is the standard grammatical (syntactic) treatment of a sentence like this, which is from an Aesop.
Oft schon habe ich dich von Herzen bedauert, dass du Tag für Tag die schwersten Lasten tragen ...
1
vote
2answers
89 views
“daß er sich, was seine Wahrnehmung betraf, auf keine bestimmte Zahl festlegen mochte”
This post is on the daß-clause in the following passage from Zwist unter Zauberern by Kurt Kusenberg.
In the story, two wizards, Parock and Schneidebein, are carrying on a feud. Parock receives a ...
0
votes
4answers
170 views
I am confused between “Sie sind der Kellner” and “Sie sind den Kellner”
I am confused between “Sie sind der Kellner” and “Sie sind den Kellner”. Isn’t Kellner the object here? I believe it should be the latter but I have seen the first sentence as the correct one. Can ...
3
votes
2answers
96 views
What does the masculine nominative “einer” represent in “Sieh mal einer an”?
This may be just a fixed expression, but I'm curious what the masculine nominative "einer" represents. Is there another similar expression that uses a mysterious masculine nominative like this?
1
vote
3answers
96 views
Nebensatz mit “zwar…aber”
1)
ich glaube, dass zwar diese lebensweise nicht gesund ist, aber ist es ab und zu populär
2)
ich glaube, dass zwar diese lebensweise nicht gesund ist, ist es aber
ab und zu populär
Können ...
-1
votes
1answer
71 views
What is correct way to use “Habe ich” and “Ich habe”? please help me with this [closed]
I am waaay to much confused about this and this is apparently way too easy
1
vote
1answer
52 views
Pronoun endings in Akkusative Objects for “mein”
Consider the following sentence:
Seit zwei Jahren tausche ich meine alten aber noch guten Sachen hier
und bin begeistert.
In this sentence, as per my understanding, we have a Akkusative ...
2
votes
2answers
105 views
Where should a direct and indirect object be placed in a Nebensatz?
Is there any rule governing the position of object in the following sentence:
Es ist wichtig, dass man für den Antrag ein Foto, Geld und den Ausweis
mitbringt .
I mean can we write the above ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
How to tell whether a sentence is active or passive voice
This might be a duplicate question (Is "heißen" passive or active in this usage?), but I am still unclear on the answer. After hosting a German exchange student for 10 months, I decided ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
How to use “zuerst”, “später”, “danach” and “dann” as Zeitadverbien?
I have the following sentence. I would like to know do we have any time stating what should come when among the options: danach, dann and später .
Zuerst hat Holger Pietsch als Berater gearbeitet. ...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
Is this a noun constructed from a verb?
Can someone kindly explain the structure of this sentence to me (in general terms)?
I am most confused about the following:
The verb looks like it is in position 3
What is 'Trainierte' in this ...
0
votes
2answers
73 views
Meaning of 'uneingeleiteter Ergänzungssatz'
What is the meaning of uneingeleiteter Ergänzungssatz? Does it refer to the use of dass in the sentence as a connector of two phrases and positioning the verb at the end?
1
vote
2answers
84 views
meaning of Selbst mit in a sentence
In the following sentence what does "selbst mit" means?
Ich habe selbst mit 18 Jahren für ein Jahr als Au-pair in den USA
gearbeitet
Does this sentence means that I have worked at the age of 18 ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Meaning of 'es hat mir sehr gut gefallen.' [closed]
What should be the meaning of the sentence: "es hat mir sehr gut gefallen."
As per the translator, it means 'I liked it very well'
But i think it should mean 'it suits me very well'
Why am I wrong?
0
votes
3answers
72 views
Question regarding the general use of Präteritum/Perfekt in German
I have seen people write like this:
Bist du der Junge, der meine Tasche gestohlen hat?
but also
Warst du der Junge, der meine Tasche gestohlen hat?
Das war mein Vortrag, vielen Dank ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Is akkusativ or Dative Object pronoun used in this sentence?
The sentence is : What does my name sound like to you?
the expression "to you" what do you think it is.
If we convert into german, what would be the translation.
Will it be:
Was hört mein Name ...
2
votes
1answer
58 views
Where should mir bitte be placed in a Question sentence that have a dative pronoun and an akkusative object?
I have two sentences:
Kannst du mein Mittagessen mir geben bitte?
Kannst du mir bitte mein Mittagessen geben?
Are both grammatically correct? Is there any rule governing the positions in this ...
5
votes
2answers
889 views
Does “was machen sie” have the greeting meaning of “what do you do”?
I just started learning German language. I started to learn some very common phrase of sentences. One of such sentences is
Was machen sie?
Which basically means "what do you do?". Now, my question ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Modalverb im Präsens mit zwei Verben im Infinitiv
Einige Männer wollen die Welt einfach brennen sehen.
Ich muss einkaufen gehen.
Er will nachher einkaufen gehen.
Sie möchten Musik spielen lernen.
All this sentences are constructed the ...
1
vote
2answers
51 views
Sentence with dass with three Verbs (Two modals)
I have a sentence:
Ich werde diese Information mitteilen müssen.
How can I put that in sentence with "dass"?
Sie hat gesagt, dass ich diese Information mitteilen müssen werde.
or
Sie hat ...
9
votes
1answer
133 views
“Ich fing an zu weinen” vs. “Ich fing zu weinen an” - was ist besser?
Schon 2 Jahre glaube ich, dass man nur „ich fing an, zu weinen“ sagen kann. Aber neulich habe ich es anders formuliert gesehen, nämlich in einem Buch bei Wattpad, und da war diese Konstruktion ...
-1
votes
1answer
40 views
A question of style -“Als” in a sentence [closed]
Wir haben auf den Lehrer gewartet als passierte der Unfall.
Does this sound natural?
3
votes
2answers
373 views
“klopfte jemand” or “jemand klopfte”?
Während ich die Gitarre spielte, klopfte jemand an die Tür.
or
Während ich die Gitarre spielte, jemand klopfte an die Tür.
Are both of these sentences grammatically correct?
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Sentence with dass with three Verbs (One modal and two connected with zu)
I would like to say in german:
"I have to try to reach this goal."
How is it gonna be?
"Ich muss versuchen, diesen Ziel zu erreichen."?
What if I want to say:
"I didn't know, that I have to try to ...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
Unable to distinguish the meaning of two sentences which have words placed in different positions
What is the difference between the following two sentences.
Google translate is showing different meaning for them.
Sent 1: Sie ist letzten Monat schon drei geworden
Sent 2: Sie ist letzten schon ...
3
votes
2answers
106 views
Position of the nominative in a sentence
1. Einmal hat sie mich zum Kaffee eingeladen.
2. Plötzlich guckten mich alle an.
Can you explain why the nominatives in both sentences have changed positions?
"Sie" came just after the verb "hat" ...
2
votes
2answers
117 views
»Die Explosion war zu hören.« – What kind of sentence structure is this?
What type of sentence structure is this (specifically, the “war ... zu hören”):
Die Explosion war auf zwei Kilometer [Entfernung] zu hören.
When would one use it? I haven’t (consciously) seen it ...
11
votes
1answer
1k views
Can a German sentence have two subjects?
Can a German sentence take more than one subject? I saw this as an example sentence on the German Wiktionary page for Vorgang:
Die Wahrnehmung von Gerüchen ist ein komplexer Vorgang.
Are Die ...
5
votes
1answer
159 views
Why do we need “uns mal” in the sentence “maybe we can meet for a meal”?
If I write a sentence as: "Vielleicht können wir zu einem Essen treffen", it would mean exactly the same as the sentence: "Vielleicht können uns mal wir zu einem Essen treffen" as per the google ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it okay for two “sein” to be next to each other?
Well here is this sentence I wrote:
Weil Einkaufszentren eines von wenigen Dingen, die das Leben auf dem Land weniger langweilig machen, sind, sind sie wirklich wichtig.
and I mean:
Because ...
0
votes
2answers
108 views
Kann man sagen: “Mein Leben dauert 17 Jahre an”? [closed]
Ich bin beim Übersetzen eines Textes und bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich den Satz richtig formuliert habe.
Mein Leben dauert etwas länger als 17 Jahre an.
5
votes
5answers
214 views
Nice ways to describe the continuous form
This is a follow-up question to this thread.
Is it possible to say the following?
Ich war gerade dabei die Tür abzuschliessen, wenn/dann/als du anriefst.
The other post mentions the text below, ...
1
vote
2answers
152 views
Two non-modal verbs in a single sentence
Abends gehen wir alle spazieren.
or
Abends spazieren wir alle.
Which one is correct? I think second one is correct because in the first sentence gehen, is used like a modal verb due to which the ...
4
votes
2answers
684 views
Under which circumstances can »werden« stand at the end of a sentence?
My listening understanding is poor, but I frequently and clearly hear the word werden used at the end of sentences.
What grammatical structure allows this and what is its function in this position?
1
vote
2answers
71 views
Why does the modal verb come at the end?
I wonder why the modal verb comes at the end here?
..., die die Produktivität des Programmierers erhöhen soll.
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Ich gehe nach draußen - use of nach
When I asked my German host this morning where he was going, he said:
Ich gehe nach draußen
I thought that the correct way of saying "I'm going outside" would be
Ich gehe draußen
What is the ...
1
vote
2answers
133 views
Use of comma before “wer”
I like to learn German from the instructions given in class and one such instruction was presented below:
Wenn du Informationen darüber hinzufügen möchtest, wer die Handlung ausführt, kannst du von ...
0
votes
2answers
82 views
sentence structure “Meine Leistung war genauso schlecht wie die von allen anderen”
I know that from this sentence
Meine Leistung war genauso schlecht wie die von allen anderen
I can separate this sentence as
Meine Leistung war genauso schlecht
My performance was ...
6
votes
4answers
154 views
Structure of a sentence in Bernhard Schlink's “Der Vorleser”
I'm reading Bernhard Schlink's novel "Der Vorleser" and got stuck trying to understand this sentence in the beginning of the second chapter:
Kein Stuck, keine Spiegel, kein Läufer. Was das ...
4
votes
1answer
114 views
“Ich kümmere mich darum, dass…”, “Ich rede darüber, dass…” – are 'darum' und 'darüber' redundant?
Whenever I am using verbs that are complemented by prepositions like i.e. "sich um etw. kümmern" or "über etw reden" and I am about to introduce a subordinate clause, I never know if I should include ...
1
vote
4answers
74 views
“Welche Punkte sinnvoll wären zu ändern” oder “welche Punkte sinnvoll zu ändern wären”?
Ich schreibe gerade eine Mail an einen Professor, in der ich folgenden Satz schreiben möchte:
Sollten Sie Anregungen haben, welche Punkte am Thema sinnvoll wären zu ändern, bin ich natürlich offen ...
1
vote
3answers
80 views
Etwas »ist« oder »wurde« vorgesehen?
Which should be used in the sentence below: ist or wurde?
Der nächstmögliche Zeitraum für die Umsetzung des neuen Konzeptes ist / wurde zwischen dem 01. April und dem 05. Mai vorgesehen.
1
vote
3answers
186 views
“Weil ich weiß die Antwort nicht.”
Zur Einleitung ein kurzer Dialog.
1a) Warum sagst du nichts? - Weil ich die Antwort nicht weiß.
1b) Warum sagst du nichts? - * Weil ich weiß die Antwort nicht.
Der Nebensatz in 1b) ist ...
0
votes
3answers
96 views
“dass du recht hast” over why not “dass du recht bist”
I was reading some German earlier and a friend said:
Ich bin überzeugt, dass du recht hast
i.e. I'm convinced that you are right
but surely "to be right" must complement the verb "sein" i.e.
...
1
vote
1answer
125 views
Infinitive clause structure becoming a gerund “Meiner Meinung nach sollten wir aufhören zu arbeiten”
I know in German that the infinitive clause
... zu arbeiten.
means ... to work ...
but I was reading the sentence
Meiner Meining nach sollten wir aufhören zu arbeiten
and initially, I thought ...
1
vote
3answers
84 views
Use of “es” in “Ich mag es, grossartige Kunstwerke zu bewundern.”
I was reading a sentence in Deutsch
Ich mag es, grossartige Kunstwerke zu bewundern.
I can translate this roughly to "I like to admire great works of art."
Now, I know that there is an infinitive ...
5
votes
4answers
148 views
What does sollen imply when used alone?
When sollen verb is used alone in sentence, how is one supposed to know the meaning?
Examples:
1) Was soll ich damit?
Google translates as:
What should I do with that?
So in reality:
Was soll ich ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Syntax analysis for a complicated sentence
I just received an email with this sentence, and while I think I understand what it is trying to say, I have difficulties trying to discover what case applies in which part, and generally in breaking ...
