Sentence structure in German
Learning sentence structure in German involves understanding the basic word order and the position of different elements within a sentence. Here are some examples to illustrate the sentence structure in German:
- Declarative sentence (subject-verb-object):
- Ich lese ein Buch. (I am reading a book.)
- Der Hund bellt laut. (The dog barks loudly.)
- Interrogative sentence (question):
- Bist du müde? (Are you tired?)
- Wer ist dein Freund? (Who is your friend?)
- Imperative sentence (command):
- Schließe die Tür! (Close the door!)
- Hör auf damit! (Stop it!)
- Position of time expressions:
- Gestern habe ich meine Hausaufgaben gemacht. (Yesterday, I did my homework.)
- Morgen gehe ich ins Kino. (Tomorrow, I am going to the cinema.)
- Position of adverbs:
- Ich gehe oft ins Schwimmbad. (I often go to the swimming pool.)
- Sie spricht langsam und deutlich. (She speaks slowly and clearly.)
- Position of separable verbs in the present tense:
- Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. (I get up at 7 o’clock.)
- Er macht die Tür auf. (He opens the door.)
- Position of infinitive clauses:
- Ich habe versucht, Deutsch zu lernen. (I have tried to learn German.)
- Sie hat beschlossen, ins Ausland zu reisen. (She has decided to travel abroad.)
- Position of direct and indirect objects:
- Ich gebe meinem Bruder das Buch. (I give the book to my brother.)
- Sie schickt mir eine E-Mail. (She sends me an email.)
- Position of relative clauses:
- Das ist der Mann, der mir geholfen hat. (That is the man who helped me.)
- Das ist das Buch, das ich gestern gekauft habe. (That is the book I bought yesterday.)
Remember that German word order can be flexible due to the case system. These examples provide a general guideline, but there may be variations depending on the context and emphasis of the sentence. Regular exposure to German sentences and practice through reading, listening, and speaking will help you internalize the sentence structure more effectively.
