Breakdown of Ich schreibe den Feiertag in den Kalender.
ich
I
in
in
schreiben
to write
der Feiertag
the public holiday
Questions & Answers about Ich schreibe den Feiertag in den Kalender.
Why do we use den Feiertag instead of der Feiertag?
Feiertag is a masculine noun (der Feiertag). Here, it is the direct object of the sentence, which is the thing being written. Therefore, it changes to the accusative case, making it den Feiertag.
Why is it in den Kalender and not in dem Kalender?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. It takes the dative case for a fixed location and the accusative case for a movement or destination. Because you are actively adding the holiday into the calendar, it shows direction. Therefore, the masculine noun der Kalender takes the accusative form den Kalender.
Are both Feiertag and Kalender masculine nouns since they both use den?
Yes! Both are masculine nouns (der Feiertag and der Kalender), and both are in the accusative case here, but for different reasons. Feiertag is accusative because it is the direct object, while Kalender is accusative because it follows the two-way preposition in showing direction.
Could I use Urlaub instead of Feiertag in this sentence?
Usually, no. Urlaub refers to personal time off or a vacation trip. Feiertag literally means 'celebration day' and is used specifically for official public or religious holidays.