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Questions & Answers about Niemand vertraut dem Fremdling.
How can I easily remember the gender of Fremdling?
Nouns that end in the suffix -ling are always masculine. Therefore, it is der Fremdling, which changes to dem Fremdling here because of the dative case.
What is the plural of Fremdling, and how would it look in this sentence?
Masculine nouns ending in -ling regularly form their plural by adding -e, making it die Fremdlinge. If the sentence were about multiple strangers, it would be Niemand vertraut den Fremdlingen, because dative plural nouns get an extra -n at the end.
Why is the object in the dative case (dem Fremdling) instead of the accusative (den Fremdling)?
The verb vertrauen (to trust) strictly requires a dative object. Even though the stranger is the direct receiver of the action in English, German requires the dative case for this specific verb.
I usually see the word Fremder used for stranger. How is Fremdling different?
Fremder is the standard, everyday word for a stranger. Fremdling is a bit more literary or poetic, often carrying the stronger nuance of being an outsider, an alien, or someone completely foreign to a community.