Breakdown of Ich fahre einmal im Jahr nach Italien.
ich
I
das Jahr
the year
fahren
to drive, to travel
nach
to / towards
Italien
Italy
einmal
once, one time
Questions & Answers about Ich fahre einmal im Jahr nach Italien.
Why is einmal im Jahr placed before nach Italien?
In German, expressions of time (when or how often something happens) almost always come before expressions of place (where you are going). Because of this rule, the frequency einmal im Jahr must come before the destination nach Italien.
Is einmal considered an adverb of frequency like the ones in this lesson?
Yes! einmal means 'once' or 'one time'. Just like oft (often) or nie (never), it tells us how frequently an action happens. You can easily change it to create words like zweimal (twice) or dreimal (three times).
The English translation says 'I travel', but doesn't fahre mean 'I drive'?
fahren does mean 'to drive', but German uses it as a general verb for going somewhere by any kind of vehicle (like a train, bus, or car). Unless you are specifically flying (fliegen) or walking, fahren is the most natural way to say you are traveling to a place.
Why do we use the preposition nach to mean 'to' in this sentence?
When you are traveling to a specific geographical place with a proper name, like a country (Italien) or a city (Berlin), you use the preposition nach.
Why is it im Jahr instead of just in Jahr?
im is a combined, short word for in dem ('in the'). When Germans express frequency per day, month, or year, they literally say 'in the'. So 'once a year' translates to einmal im Jahr ('once in the year').
Learn Ich fahre einmal im Jahr nach Italien and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free