Breakdown of Ich mache die Hausaufgabe am Abend.
machen
to make, to do
die Hausaufgabe
the homework
der Abend
the evening
Questions & Answers about Ich mache die Hausaufgabe am Abend.
Why does German use mache instead of a word for "do" here?
In German, the verb machen translates to both "to make" and "to do" in English. While there is another verb for "to do" (tun), Germans almost always use machen for tasks and activities, like doing homework (die Hausaufgabe machen), doing sports (Sport machen), or doing the laundry (die Wäsche machen).
I usually see homework written as Hausaufgaben (plural). Can it be singular?
Yes! In English, "homework" is an uncountable noun. In German, it can be singular (die Hausaufgabe, meaning a specific homework assignment) or plural (die Hausaufgaben, meaning homework in general or multiple assignments). Both are correct and commonly used.
Why do we say am Abend instead of using a word for "in"?
In German, you use the preposition an for days of the week and parts of the day. Because Abend is a masculine noun (der Abend), in the dative case it becomes dem Abend. The words an and dem merge to form the short word am. So, am Abend is the standard way to say "in the evening".
Could I change the word order and put am Abend earlier in the sentence?
Yes, you could absolutely say Ich mache am Abend die Hausaufgabe. German word order is flexible, and a common rule is "Time before Object" (putting the time am Abend before the direct object die Hausaufgabe). However, the original sentence is also perfectly natural, especially if you want to emphasize what you are doing rather than when you are doing it.
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