Breakdown of Mein Kollege fügt die Tabelle in das Dokument ein.
in
in
mein
my
der Kollege
the colleague
das Dokument
the document
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Tabelle
the table (chart, data)
einfügen
to insert
Questions & Answers about Mein Kollege fügt die Tabelle in das Dokument ein.
How would I change this active sentence into the passive alternative taught in this lesson?
To say 'The table can be inserted into the document,' you use the sich lassen + infinitive structure. The object of the active sentence (die Tabelle) becomes the subject: Die Tabelle lässt sich in das Dokument einfügen.
Why is ein at the very end of the sentence?
The verb is einfügen (to insert), which is a separable verb. In a standard main clause, the conjugated part (fügt) takes the second position, and the separable prefix (ein) gets pushed to the very end.
Why does the sentence use in das Dokument (accusative) instead of im Dokument (dative)?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Because the action involves moving something to a new destination (inserting the table into the document), it requires the accusative case (das Dokument). If the table were already located there, you would use the dative case (im Dokument, which is short for in dem Dokument).
I see Kollege doesn't have an extra -n at the end here. Isn't it an n-declension (weak) noun?
Yes, der Kollege is an n-declension noun. However, weak nouns only add the extra -n (or -en) in the accusative, dative, and genitive cases. Since Mein Kollege is the subject of this sentence (nominative case), it remains in its base form.
Learn Mein Kollege fügt die Tabelle in das Dokument ein 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