Breakdown of Man muss den Boden jeden Tag fegen.
müssen
to have to, must
man
one / you (impersonal)
jeder
everyone / each
der Tag
the day
der Boden
the floor / the ground
fegen
to sweep
Questions & Answers about Man muss den Boden jeden Tag fegen.
How do I rewrite this sentence using the new passive alternative with gehören?
To express this necessity using the structure from this lesson, you make the direct object (den Boden) the subject and use the past participle of the verb: Der Boden gehört jeden Tag gefegt. This has the same meaning but carries a slightly colloquial, firm tone, similar to saying "The floor needs sweeping."
Why is it jeden Tag in the accusative case here, instead of dative?
Definite time expressions that indicate a specific duration, point in time, or frequency (like "every day") always take the accusative case in German when used without a preposition. Since Tag is masculine, it becomes jeden Tag.
Is it also correct to say Man muss jeden Tag den Boden fegen?
Yes! In fact, placing the time element (jeden Tag) before the accusative object (den Boden) is the standard, neutral word order in German. Moving den Boden before the time element, as shown in this sentence, simply puts a bit more emphasis on the floor itself.
Could I use kehren instead of fegen here?
Yes, you absolutely can say Man muss den Boden jeden Tag kehren. Both verbs mean to sweep, but the preference is regional. Fegen is more common in Northern and Central Germany, while kehren is the standard everyday word in Southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
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