Breakdown of Ich spiele als Elfe und er spielt als Krieger.
ich
I
er
he
und
and
spielen
to play
als
as (in the role of)
die Elfe
the elf
der Krieger
the warrior
Questions & Answers about Ich spiele als Elfe und er spielt als Krieger.
Why are there no articles before Elfe and Krieger?
When expressing a role, profession, or identity with als, German leaves out the indefinite article (ein or eine). You just state the noun directly, similar to saying 'I work as teacher' in German.
What case are the words Elfe and Krieger in?
They are in the nominative case. The particle als does not force a specific case on its own; instead, it matches the case of the noun it refers back to. Here, the roles refer back to the subjects Ich and er (nominative), so the roles are also nominative.
Could I use wie instead of als in this sentence?
No, you must use als here because it defines a role you are actively taking on. If you used wie, it would mean a comparison. For example, Er kämpft wie ein Krieger means 'He fights like a warrior' (meaning he fights similarly to one, but isn't actually one).
Is Elfe masculine or feminine here?
Elfe is the feminine form (die Elfe), implying the speaker is playing a female character. The masculine equivalent is Elf (der Elf). In German, fantasy races usually have distinct masculine and feminine noun forms.
Learn Ich spiele als Elfe und er spielt als Krieger 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