Word
Er erklärt die Funktion eines Computers.
Meaning
He is explaining a computer's function.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Er erklärt die Funktion eines Computers.
ein
a, an (eine)
er
he
der Computer
the computer
erklären
to explain
Questions & Answers about Er erklärt die Funktion eines Computers.
Why does this sentence use eines instead of ein?
eines is the genitive form of the indefinite article ein for masculine and neuter nouns. The genitive case is used here to show possession or a relationship, translating directly to "of a computer" or "a computer's".
Why is there an -s added to the end of Computers?
In the genitive case, masculine and neuter nouns (like der Computer) almost always take an extra -s or -es at the end of the word. Since Computer ends in an unstressed syllable, it just takes a simple -s.
I often hear Germans use von to say "of". Could I say die Funktion von einem Computer?
Yes! In everyday spoken German, people often use von followed by the dative case (von einem Computer) instead of the genitive case. However, learning the genitive (eines Computers) is important because it is standard in writing and formal speech.
Why does die Funktion use die if it is the object being explained?
die Funktion is the direct object, so it is in the accusative case. For feminine nouns like die Funktion, the accusative article looks exactly the same as the nominative (subject) article, so it stays as die.