Breakdown of Sie schenkt dem Neffen ein Buch.
ein
a, an (eine)
sie
she
das Buch
the book
schenken
to give (as a gift)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Neffe
the nephew
Questions & Answers about Sie schenkt dem Neffen ein Buch.
Why does the word for nephew have an '-n' at the end (Neffen)?
Neffe belongs to a special group of masculine nouns (often called 'weak nouns' or N-declension). When these nouns are used in any case other than the nominative (the subject), they get an extra -n or -en at the end. Because the nephew is the recipient here (dative case), Neffe becomes Neffen.
Why is it dem Neffen (dative) but ein Buch (accusative)?
The verb schenken (to give as a gift) takes two objects: the person receiving the gift, and the item being given. In German, the recipient takes the dative case (dem Neffen), and the direct object being given takes the accusative case (ein Buch).
Why use schenken instead of geben?
While geben simply means 'to give' in a general sense, schenken specifically means 'to give as a gift' or 'to present'. Because she is giving the book as a present, schenken is the best verb to use.
Is it possible to change the word order and say Sie schenkt ein Buch dem Neffen?
It is highly preferred to say dem Neffen ein Buch. As a general rule in German, when a sentence has two regular noun objects (rather than pronouns like 'it' or 'him'), the dative receiver (dem Neffen) comes before the accusative item (ein Buch).
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