Er arbeitet in der Stadt und kauft oft Brot.

He works in the city and often buys bread.

Breakdown of Er arbeitet in der Stadt und kauft oft Brot.

• und: and
• in: in
• das Brot: the bread
• die Stadt: the city
• er: he
• arbeiten: to work
• kaufen: to buy
• oft: often

Questions & Answers about Er arbeitet in der Stadt und kauft oft Brot.

Why is der used in in der Stadt instead of die Stadt?

In German, when you say you work in a location, you often use the dative case. Since Stadt is a feminine noun (die Stadt in nominative), in the dative case it becomes der Stadt. Essentially, "in" + dative means "inside" or "within" that location.

Why is oft placed after kauft and not at the beginning or end of the sentence?

In German, adverbs like oft typically come right after the verb or in the “midfield” of the sentence. You could also place oft at the beginning for emphasis, but it sounds most natural to native speakers right after the verb.

Can we say Er arbeitet in der Stadt, und er kauft oft Brot with an extra er?

Yes, you can repeat the subject er if you want to be clear or add emphasis, but it is not necessary. German commonly omits the second subject if it remains the same person or thing.

Does oft mean the same as häufig?

They both mean “often” or “frequently.” However, häufig can sometimes feel slightly more formal or academic. In everyday speech, oft is more common.

Is it common to combine two clauses with und in German, similar to English?

Yes. Using und to join simple statements like “He works in the city and he often buys bread” is very common and works much the same as in English.