Breakdown of Du musst nach der Schule leise sein.
sein
to be
du
you (informal singular)
müssen
to have to, must
die Schule
the school
Questions & Answers about Du musst nach der Schule leise sein.
Why does it say der Schule when school is a feminine noun (die Schule)?
This is because of the preposition nach, which always requires the dative case. In the dative case, the feminine word for 'the' changes from die to der.
Wait, doesn't nach mean 'to', like going to a country or city?
Yes, it does! However, nach is also used for time to mean 'after' an event. So while nach Berlin means 'to Berlin', nach der Schule means 'after school'. In both situations, it forces the next noun into the dative case.
Why is the verb sein (to be) all the way at the end of the sentence?
This is due to the modal verb musst (must). In German, when you use a modal verb, it takes the normal verb spot (the second position in the sentence) and pushes the main action verb (sein) to the very end in its original dictionary form.
Could I use ruhig instead of leise here to mean 'quiet'?
Yes, but they have a slight difference! leise specifically means low in volume or not making noise. ruhig can also mean quiet, but it translates more closely to 'calm' or 'peaceful'. Both work, but leise directly addresses the noise level.