Word
Er nennt die Polizisten immer Bullen.
Meaning
He always calls the police officers cops.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Er nennt die Polizisten immer Bullen.
immer
always
nennen
to name
der Polizist
the police officer
der Bulle
the cop (slang)
Questions & Answers about Er nennt die Polizisten immer Bullen.
Why are both die Polizisten and Bullen in the accusative case here?
The verb nennen (to call or name) is one of the few German verbs that takes a double accusative. The person or thing you are naming is the direct object, and the name you give them is also in the accusative.
Why does Polizisten end in -en here?
Der Polizist belongs to a group of masculine nouns known as weak nouns or n-declension nouns. These nouns add an -(e)n to the end in every case except the nominative singular. Here it is in the plural, which also takes the -en ending.
Is Bulle also an n-declension noun?
Yes! Der Bulle is another weak masculine noun. Even if he were only talking about one officer in the accusative singular, it would still be den Bullen.
What does Bullen literally mean, and is it offensive?
Der Bulle literally means the bull, but in German slang it translates to cop. It is considered highly informal and often derogatory, so it is best used carefully and never when directly addressing a police officer!