Breakdown of Das Monster lacht über den Winzling.
lachen
to laugh
über
about (a topic)
das Monster
the monster
der Winzling
the tiny creature
Questions & Answers about Das Monster lacht über den Winzling.
Why is the noun Winzling masculine (den Winzling)?
Nouns ending in the suffix -ling are always masculine. Here, it takes the accusative masculine article (den) because of the preposition that comes before it. The suffix is often added to adjectives like winzig (tiny) to create a noun describing a person or creature with that exact trait.
How would I say the monster laughs at multiple tiny creatures?
Why does the two-way preposition über take the accusative case here instead of the dative?
When über is used figuratively in a fixed verb combination like lachen über (to laugh at or about), it strictly requires the accusative case. The dative is only used for literal physical locations (for example, if the monster were flying directly over the creature while laughing).
The English translation says 'laughs at', but doesn't über usually mean 'over' or 'about'?