Questions & Answers about Wirf die alte Flasche weg!
Why is the verb form wirf instead of werfe?
The infinitive is wegwerfen (to throw away). Because the core verb werfen has a stem vowel change from e to i in the present tense (du wirfst), it keeps that i in the informal singular imperative. These strong verbs also drop the standard -e imperative ending, leaving just wirf.
Why is weg at the very end of the sentence?
wegwerfen is a separable verb. In a command (imperative), the conjugated part of the verb goes at the beginning of the sentence, and the separable prefix (weg) gets kicked to the very end, just like it does in a standard main clause.
Why does the adjective alte end in just an -e here?
The noun Flasche is feminine, and it acts as the direct object (accusative case) being thrown away. After a definite article like die, a feminine adjective in the accusative case takes the weak ending -e.
How would this sentence change if I were talking to a group of friends?
If you are addressing multiple people informally, you need the ihr form of the imperative. For this plural form, the stem vowel changes back to e and you add a -t, making the sentence Werft die alte Flasche weg!
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