Breakdown of Er arbeitet bei einem freundlichen Kundenservice.
ein
a, an (eine)
er
he
arbeiten
to work
bei
at, near, with
freundlich
friendly
der Kundenservice
the customer service
Questions & Answers about Er arbeitet bei einem freundlichen Kundenservice.
Why does freundlichen end in -en here?
Because it is in the dative case following the indefinite article einem. In German, whenever an adjective comes after an indefinite article (like ein, mein, or kein) in the dative case, it always gets an -en ending, no matter what gender the noun is.
Why are we using the dative case (einem) in this sentence?
The preposition bei is a strict dative preposition. This means any noun phrase that immediately follows it must be in the dative case. Since Kundenservice is a masculine noun, the article changes from ein to einem.
Why do we use bei to mean 'at' in this context?
When you talk about working at or for a company, business, or specific department, German uses the preposition bei. You use this same preposition when naming your employer, like Ich arbeite bei Siemens (I work at Siemens).
How can I figure out the gender of a long compound word like Kundenservice?
The gender of a German compound noun always matches its very last word. This word combines die Kunden (the customers) and der Service (the service). Because Service is masculine, the entire compound noun der Kundenservice is also masculine.
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