Breakdown of Die mündliche Prüfung dauert zwanzig Minuten.
zwanzig
twenty
die Minute
the minute
die Prüfung
the exam
dauern
to last / to take (time)
mündlich
oral, spoken
Questions & Answers about Die mündliche Prüfung dauert zwanzig Minuten.
Why is there an "-e" at the end of mündliche?
Because it describes the feminine noun Prüfung. After the definite article Die in the nominative case (since it is the subject of the sentence), the adjective takes the weak ending -e.
Is there a trick to remember the gender of Prüfung?
Yes! Any German noun ending in the suffix -ung is always feminine. This makes it die Prüfung.
Could I use a translation of the verb "to take" instead of dauert here?
No, in German you cannot use nehmen (to take) for time. Whenever you want to say that an event "takes" a certain amount of time, you must use dauern (to last).
Why does the plural of Minute end in -n?
Minute is a feminine noun that ends in -e. In German, almost all feminine nouns ending in -e form their plural by simply adding an -n, becoming Minuten.
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