Breakdown of Er montiert den kleinen Zeiger auf das Zifferblatt.
er
he
klein
small
auf
on / to (down/up to a level)
montieren
to mount / to assemble
das Zifferblatt
the dial
der Zeiger
the clock hand
Questions & Answers about Er montiert den kleinen Zeiger auf das Zifferblatt.
Why is it auf das Zifferblatt (accusative) instead of auf dem Zifferblatt (dative)?
The preposition auf is a two-way preposition. Because the action describes a movement towards a destination (mounting the hand onto the dial), it requires the accusative case (das Zifferblatt). If we were talking about where the hand is already resting without movement, we would use the dative case (auf dem Zifferblatt).
Why does the adjective in den kleinen Zeiger end in -en?
Zeiger (pointer or hand) is a masculine noun (der Zeiger). Here it is the direct object of the sentence, so it is in the accusative case (den). When following a definite article like den, adjectives take the weak ending -en.
What is the literal translation of Zifferblatt?
It is a compound noun made of die Ziffer (digit or numeral) and das Blatt (leaf, sheet, or face). Literally, it translates to a sheet of digits, which is the German word for a clock face or dial.
Can Zeiger be used for things other than clock hands?
Yes! The word comes from the verb zeigen (to point or show). A Zeiger is literally a pointer. You will see it used for the needle on dials, gauges, scales, and even as the mouse pointer on your computer screen (often as der Mauszeiger).
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