Breakdown of Die Fremdlinge kommen von einem anderen Planeten.
ein
a, an (eine)
kommen
to come
von
from, of / by (agent in passive clauses)
andere
other, different
der Planet
the planet
der Fremdling
the stranger
Questions & Answers about Die Fremdlinge kommen von einem anderen Planeten.
The lesson is about the -ling suffix. How does it work for Fremdlinge in this sentence?
The suffix -ling is added to the adjective fremd (strange/foreign) to create a masculine noun, der Fremdling. Just as the lesson notes, nouns ending in -ling are predictably masculine and form their plural simply by adding -e. That gives us the plural die Fremdlinge used here.
I usually hear die Fremden for "the strangers". Is Fremdlinge used exactly the same way?
Not quite. While both can be translated as "stranger", der Fremde is the everyday word for someone you just don't know on the street. Der Fremdling has a more literary or dramatic feel, translating closer to "outsider" or "alien"—which makes it the perfect choice for this specific sentence about visitors from another planet!
Why is there an -n at the end of Planeten? Isn't von einem anderen referring to a singular planet?
Yes, it is singular! The word der Planet belongs to a specific group of masculine words called "weak nouns" (also known as n-declension). These nouns add an -n or -en in every grammatical case except the nominative singular. Because it follows the dative preposition von, the singular noun becomes Planeten.
Why does the adjective anderen end in -en?
Because the phrase von einem anderen Planeten is in the dative case. The dative masculine indefinite article einem already does the heavy lifting by showing the -m case signal. Because the article already shows the case, the adjective that follows just takes the standard weak ending, which is -en.
Learn Die Fremdlinge kommen von einem anderen Planeten 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