Auf dem Sofa liegen weiche Kissen für Gäste.

There are soft pillows on the sofa for guests.

Breakdown of Auf dem Sofa liegen weiche Kissen für Gäste.

• für: for
• das Sofa: the sofa
• liegen: to lie
• weich: soft
• das Kissen: the pillow
• der Gast: the guest

Questions & Answers about Auf dem Sofa liegen weiche Kissen für Gäste.

Why is the preposition auf followed by the dative case dem instead of the accusative case?

Auf can take either the accusative or the dative. It takes the dative if it expresses a location (i.e., "where?"—no movement), and the accusative if it expresses a direction (i.e., "where to?"—movement from one place to another). In this sentence, it describes the location of the cushions, so the dative case dem is used.

Why do we say weiche Kissen instead of another form like weiches Kissen or weichen Kissen?

Here, weiche is the plural nominative form of the adjective because the noun Kissen (cushions) is plural and the sentence structure provides a plural subject. For plural direct subjects without a definite article, the adjective usually ends in -e.

Is the sentence order important in German here? Could I say Weiche Kissen für Gäste liegen auf dem Sofa instead?

Yes, German word order is fairly flexible, so you can start with Weiche Kissen für Gäste or Auf dem Sofa. Both convey a similar meaning. However, the original order emphasizes the location (the sofa) first, which sets the context for what’s on it.

Why is für Gäste placed at the end?

Placing für Gäste at the end emphasizes the purpose (intended for guests). In German, information that modifies or describes a noun (here, who the cushions are for) often comes after the main description of the noun itself. You could also place für Gäste elsewhere, but it might sound less natural or shift emphasis.