Ich mache Frühstück in der Küche.

I make breakfast in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Ich mache Frühstück in der Küche.

• in: in
• ich: I
• die Küche: the kitchen
• machen: to make
• das Frühstück: the breakfast

Questions & Answers about Ich mache Frühstück in der Küche.

Why is the noun phrase in der Küche using the dative case (as indicated by der) instead of the nominative die?

In German, when a preposition indicates location—answering the question “where?”—it typically governs the dative case. Since Küche (kitchen) is a feminine noun, its dative form takes der as the definite article instead of die.

What are the subject, verb, and direct object in the sentence Ich mache Frühstück in der Küche?

The subject is Ich (meaning “I”), the verb is mache (the first-person singular conjugation of machen, meaning “make”), and the direct object is Frühstück (meaning “breakfast”). The phrase in der Küche is a prepositional phrase providing the location where the action takes place.

Which tense is used in this sentence and how does it compare to English?

The sentence uses the present tense (Präsens). While German uses this simple present form to describe both habitual actions and current actions—similar to English—the context usually clarifies whether it means “I make breakfast” habitually or “I am making breakfast” at this moment.

Why is the verb machen conjugated as mache in this sentence?

German verbs must agree with their subjects in person and number. Since the subject Ich is first person singular, the verb machen is correctly conjugated as mache.

Can the word order be changed in this sentence, and if so, what is an alternative structure?

Yes, German word order is relatively flexible, particularly with adverbial phrases. For instance, for emphasis on the location, you could rearrange the sentence to: In der Küche mache ich Frühstück. Both structures are correct, though the original is the more typical or neutral order.

Are there any punctuation or structural notes a learner should keep in mind with this sentence?

In this simple sentence, no additional commas are needed because the prepositional phrase in der Küche is not separated by commas from the main clause. Also, the sentence follows a standard subject–verb–object order with additional location information at the end, which is quite similar to English sentence structure.