Breakdown of Der Auszubildende kopiert den Antrag für den Reisenden.
für
for
kopieren
to copy
der Reisende
the traveler
der Auszubildende
the trainee
der Antrag
the application
Questions & Answers about Der Auszubildende kopiert den Antrag für den Reisenden.
Why do Auszubildende and Reisenden have different endings if they are both masculine nouns for people?
Because these words are nominalized participles: verbs that were turned into adjectives, and then into nouns. Even as nouns, they still take adjective endings! Der Auszubildende is the subject (nominative), so it takes the standard -e ending after a definite article. Den Reisenden is in the accusative case, so it takes the -en ending.
What would happen if the trainee were copying the application for a female traveler?
The base word for a female traveler is die Reisende. The preposition für always forces the accusative case. In the accusative, feminine definite articles and their adjective endings do not change, so it would simply be für die Reisende.
What verb does Auszubildende come from, and why is there a zu in the middle?
It comes from the separable verb ausbilden (to train). German forms this specific noun by taking the zu-infinitive (auszubilden), adding a -d to make it an adjective, and then adding the case ending -e. Literally, it describes someone who is to be trained.
Why is it den Antrag instead of der Antrag?
Der Antrag is a masculine noun. In this sentence, it is the direct object being acted upon by the verb kopieren (it is the thing being copied). Direct objects take the accusative case, so the masculine article der changes to den.
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