Learn Hardcore German: Ich trinke Wasser aus dem Glas.

The preposition aus always requires the dative case. Since Glas is a neuter noun and its nominative form is das Glas, its dative form becomes dem Glas. This is why the sentence uses aus dem Glas.

What does the preposition aus mean in this sentence?

In this context, aus translates to “from” or “out of” in English. It indicates the origin of the water—that is, the water is being taken from (or is contained in) the glass.

Why is there no article before Wasser? Would it be correct to say das Wasser instead?

In German, many mass nouns like Wasser are used without an article when referring to the substance in general. Saying Ich trinke Wasser means “I drink water” in a general sense. If you use das Wasser, you are referring to a specific quantity or instance of water that both you and the listener are aware of.

How does the word order in this sentence compare to English, and can it be changed for emphasis?

The sentence follows a common German structure: the subject (Ich), the verb in the second position (trinke), the direct object (Wasser), and then the adverbial phrase (aus dem Glas). While English generally uses a similar subject-verb-object order, German allows more flexibility with adverbial phrases. For example, you could say Aus dem Glas trinke ich Wasser to emphasize the source of the water, while still keeping the finite verb in the second position.

How is the verb trinke formed, and what are its other conjugated forms?

Trinke is the first-person singular present tense form of the regular verb trinken (to drink). The full conjugation in the present tense is: • ich trinke
• du trinkst
• er/sie/es trinkt
• wir trinken
• ihr trinkt
• sie/Sie trinken
It appears as trinke here because the subject is ich (I).