Breakdown of Zu diesem Hemd passt die Krawatte nicht.
nicht
not
das Hemd
the shirt
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
passen
to fit
zu
to (direction, + dative)
die Krawatte
the tie
Questions & Answers about Zu diesem Hemd passt die Krawatte nicht.
Why is the verb passt before the subject die Krawatte?
Because the sentence starts with the prepositional phrase Zu diesem Hemd. In German, the conjugated verb must always be in the second position. Since position one is taken by the phrase, the verb comes second, and the subject is pushed to position three.
Why is it diesem Hemd and not dieses Hemd?
The preposition zu always requires the dative case. Since Hemd is a neuter noun (das Hemd), the word for this changes to the dative form diesem.
Why do we use the preposition zu here?
To say two clothing items look good together or match, German uses the verb passen plus the preposition zu. If you use passen on its own with a person, like Das Hemd passt mir, it means the shirt fits you in physical size, not style.
Why is nicht placed at the very end of the sentence?
When nicht negates the entire action or statement rather than one specific word, it typically moves to the end of the clause. Here, it is negating the whole idea that the tie matches the shirt.
Learn Zu diesem Hemd passt die Krawatte nicht 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