Breakdown of Ein schlechter Tritt kostet dich den Punkt.
ein
a, an (eine)
kosten
to cost
dich
you (singular, informal)
schlecht
bad
Questions & Answers about Ein schlechter Tritt kostet dich den Punkt.
Why does this sentence use dich instead of dir? Isn't "you" an indirect object?
In English, "you" feels like an indirect object, which would normally mean using the dative case in German (like dir). However, kosten (to cost) is a special verb in German that takes two accusative objects. Therefore, "you" must be in the accusative case (dich).
Wait, are dich and den Punkt both in the accusative case here?
Yes! Because kosten requires a "double accusative," both the person experiencing the cost (dich) and the thing being lost or paid (den Punkt) take the accusative case. You can clearly see this second accusative in the masculine article den before Punkt.
Why does the adjective schlechter end in -er?
Tritt is a masculine noun in the nominative case, acting as the subject of the sentence. Because the indefinite article ein has no ending here, the adjective has to do the heavy lifting to show the gender. It takes the strong masculine ending -er.
Does Tritt always mean "kick"?
It can mean "kick," but it also frequently translates to "step" or "footstep." In a sports or martial arts context, "kick" is the most natural translation, but if you were talking about a hiking or climbing competition, this exact sentence could mean "A bad step costs you the point."