Breakdown of In der Regel kommt der Bus pünktlich.
kommen
to come
der Bus
the bus
pünktlich
on time / punctual
in der Regel
as a rule, usually
Questions & Answers about In der Regel kommt der Bus pünktlich.
Why is the word order kommt der Bus instead of der Bus kommt?
In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must always take the second position. Since the phrase In der Regel takes up the first position, the verb kommt must immediately follow it, pushing the subject der Bus into the third position.
Does the phrase In der Regel literally mean in the rule?
Yes, translated word-for-word it means in the rule, but it is a very common fixed phrase used to mean as a rule, usually, or generally. You will often hear it used interchangeably with normalerweise.
If Regel is a feminine noun (die Regel), why does it say der Regel here?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Here it takes the dative case because it describes a figurative fixed state rather than movement towards a goal. In the dative case, the feminine article die changes to der.
Can pünktlich be used for people, or only for things like buses and trains?
You can use pünktlich for people too! It simply means punctual or on time. Whether it is a bus, a person, or the start of a movie, if it happens right on schedule, it is pünktlich.
Learn In der Regel kommt der Bus pünktlich 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