Abends tanze ich manchmal allein, wenn ich zu Hause bleibe.

(In the evening I sometimes dance alone when I stay at home.)

Breakdown of Abends tanze ich manchmal allein, wenn ich zu Hause bleibe.

• ich: I
• der Abend: the evening
• manchmal: sometimes
• tanzen: to dance
• bleiben: to stay
• allein: alone

Questions & Answers about Abends tanze ich manchmal allein, wenn ich zu Hause bleibe.

Why does the sentence start with Abends instead of Am Abend?

Both Abends and Am Abend can be used to talk about something that happens in the evening. Abends is an adverb meaning “in the evenings” or “every evening,” while Am Abend is a prepositional phrase more literally meaning “on (a specific) evening.” German often uses adverbs of time (like Abends, Morgens, Nachmittags) to indicate recurring events or general habits.

Why is the word order tanze ich instead of ich tanze after Abends?

In German, when you begin a sentence with an element that's not the subject (here it’s the time adverb Abends), the finite verb usually comes second. This means the subject (in this case ich) gets pushed after the verb. It emphasizes the time reference first, followed by the verb, then the subject.

What is the role of manchmal and where should it be placed?

Manchmal means “sometimes” and is a frequency adverb. It typically goes in the “middle field” of the sentence, which is the space between the finite verb (in position 2) and the sentence’s final elements. You can place manchmal after the subject (e.g., ich manchmal tanze) or after the verb (e.g., tanze ich manchmal), depending on the emphasis you want.

Why is allein placed after manchmal?

In German, short adverbs like allein (meaning “alone”) often come after other adverbs of frequency (like manchmal, “sometimes”). This sequence feels natural to German speakers, though you could potentially place allein differently for specific stylistic reasons. The general preference is to move from more general adverbs (frequency, time) to more specific ones (manner, place).

What is the difference between zu Hause and nach Hause?

Zu Hause means “at home” and refers to being in your home. Nach Hause means “(going) home” and indicates a direction or movement toward your home. In the sentence wenn ich zu Hause bleibe, you’re talking about staying put in your home, so zu Hause is correct.

Why does bleibe appear at the end of the clause after wenn?

When wenn introduces a subordinate clause in German, the conjugated verb goes to the end of that clause. So in wenn ich zu Hause bleibe, bleibe is placed at the end because it’s a subordinate clause triggered by wenn.