Breakdown of Mein rüstiger Onkel macht jeden Tag einen längeren Spaziergang.
ein
a, an (eine)
machen
to make, to do
mein
my
lang
long
jeder
everyone / each
der Tag
the day
der Spaziergang
the walk, the stroll
der Onkel
the uncle
rüstig
sprightly
Questions & Answers about Mein rüstiger Onkel macht jeden Tag einen längeren Spaziergang.
Why use the comparative längeren if the walk isn't being compared to anything?
This is the absolute comparative (absoluter Komparativ). Instead of meaning 'longer than a specific thing', it moderates the adjective to mean 'rather long' or 'fairly long'. German uses this to describe a degree that is higher than average but not extreme.
Both rüstiger and längeren are adjectives describing masculine nouns. Why do they have different endings?
They are in different cases. Mein rüstiger Onkel is the subject (nominative), so the adjective takes the strong -er ending because the possessive Mein doesn't explicitly show the case. Meanwhile, einen längeren Spaziergang is the direct object (accusative), which always requires the -en ending for masculine adjectives after an indefinite article.
Why is the time phrase jeden Tag in the accusative case?
In German, definite time expressions that answer 'when?' or 'how often?' are placed in the accusative case, even without a preposition. Because Tag is masculine, the determiner jeder becomes jeden.
Can I use rüstig to describe a young, athletic friend?
No, rüstig is almost exclusively used for elderly people. It translates well to 'sprightly' or 'hale', implying that someone is remarkably active, fit, and healthy for their advanced age.
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