Learn Hardcore German: Ich gehe in den Park, sonst sitze ich zu Hause. - I go to the park, otherwise I sit at home.

Because the sentence describes movement toward a destination, and in German, the preposition in takes the accusative case when indicating motion. Since Park is a masculine noun, the accusative form is den Park.

What does sonst mean in this sentence?

Sonst functions as a conjunctive adverb meaning otherwise or if not. It indicates that if the first action (going to the park) doesn’t occur, the alternative action (sitting at home) will take place.

Why is there no article before Hause in zu Hause?

Zu Hause is an established adverbial phrase meaning at home. In such fixed expressions, German does not use an article, so it is correct to say zu Hause rather than adding any article.

Why is there a comma between Ich gehe in den Park and sonst sitze ich zu Hause?

German punctuation rules require a comma to separate independent clauses. Although sonst is not a subordinating conjunction, it starts the second independent clause. The comma clarifies that two separate, complete thoughts are being linked.

How does the sentence express a conditional idea without using a typical “if… then…” structure?

Even though the sentence does not use an explicit conditional marker like wenn (“if”), the use of sonst implies a condition. It tells you that if the first action (going to the park) does not happen, the consequence is the second action (sitting at home).

What is the word order in the sentence, and why is it important?

Both parts of the sentence are main clauses following the standard German word order. In the first clause, Ich gehe in den Park follows a simple Subject-Verb-Object order. In the second clause, even though sonst comes at the beginning as an adverb, the finite verb sitze remains in second position, maintaining clear and correct syntax.