Breakdown of Die Pioniere bauen im Gewächshaus Gemüse an.
im
in the (used with months) / in the (contraction of in + dem)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Gemüse
the vegetables
anbauen
to cultivate
Questions & Answers about Die Pioniere bauen im Gewächshaus Gemüse an.
How would I rewrite this sentence to say the pioneers intend to cultivate vegetables, using this lesson's focus?
You would use the formal nominal construction die Absicht haben (to have the intention) along with a zu-infinitive clause. The sentence becomes: Die Pioniere haben die Absicht, im Gewächshaus Gemüse anzubauen.
In that intended sentence, why does the infinitive become anzubauen?
The original verb anbauen (to cultivate) is a separable verb. When you form a zu-infinitive with a separable verb, the zu gets inserted directly between the prefix (an) and the main verb (bauen), and it is all written together as one single word.
Why is the prepositional phrase im Gewächshaus in the dative case here instead of the accusative?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Because the cultivation takes place entirely within a fixed location (answering the question wo? or where?), it demands the dative case. in plus the dative article dem contracts to im.
Is Gemüse plural in this sentence, since the English translation says vegetables?
No, das Gemüse is a neuter singular noun in German. It functions as a collective noun, similar to how we use produce or luggage in English. Even though it translates to the plural vegetables, it remains grammatically singular in German.