Breakdown of Wir frühstücken manchmal sehr spät.
sehr
very
wir
we
manchmal
sometimes
spät
late
frühstücken
to eat breakfast
Questions & Answers about Wir frühstücken manchmal sehr spät.
Why is manchmal placed right after the verb frühstücken?
In a basic German sentence, the main verb is always in the second position. Adverbs of frequency, like manchmal (sometimes), usually come right after that verb.
Can I put manchmal at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can! Starting a sentence with a time word is very common. Just remember the strict rule: the verb must stay in the second position. So, if you move manchmal to the front, the subject wir has to move after the verb: Manchmal frühstücken wir sehr spät.
The English translation says 'eat breakfast', but the German sentence only has one word for it. Why?
In German, frühstücken is a full verb meaning 'to eat breakfast' or 'to have breakfast'. You do not need to add extra words for 'eat' or 'have'. You just conjugate the verb itself, which gives us wir frühstücken.
Why does manchmal come before sehr spät?
When you have multiple details in a sentence, German prefers to put the frequency (how often) before the specific time or manner (when or how). That is why manchmal comes before sehr spät.
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