Breakdown of Wir bleiben während des Urlaubs hier.
hier
here
wir
we
der Urlaub
the vacation / the holiday
bleiben
to stay
während
during
Questions & Answers about Wir bleiben während des Urlaubs hier.
Why is it des Urlaubs and not dem Urlaub?
The preposition während (during) requires the Genitive case. Since Urlaub is a masculine noun (der Urlaub), the definite article changes to des and we add an -s to the end of the noun, making it des Urlaubs.
Would I ever hear während dem Urlaub in conversation?
Yes, quite often! In everyday spoken German, native speakers frequently substitute the Dative case (während dem Urlaub). However, in written German and standard grammar (which you need for B1 exams), you should always use the Genitive case (des Urlaubs).
Why is hier placed at the very end of the sentence?
German sentences generally follow the Time, Manner, Place rule for word order. The time-related phrase während des Urlaubs (during the vacation) must come before the location word hier (here).
The English translation says 'are staying', so why doesn't the German sentence use a form of sein (to be)?
German does not have a continuous tense like the English '-ing' form. You should never literally translate 'are staying' word-for-word. The standard present tense Wir bleiben translates to both 'We stay' and 'We are staying' depending on the context.
Learn Wir bleiben während des Urlaubs hier 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