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Questions & Answers about Ich habe gestern ein schönes Geschenk im Geschäft gekauft, um meine Eltern zu überraschen.
What does gestern mean, and why is it placed after the auxiliary verb in this sentence?
Gestern means “yesterday.” In German perfect sentences, time adverbs like this are typically placed after the auxiliary verb (here, habe) to indicate when the action occurred while still keeping the finite verb in the second position.
Why is the past participle gekauft at the end of the sentence?
In German compound tenses such as the Perfekt, the past participle (here, gekauft) is moved to the end of the clause. Meanwhile, the auxiliary verb (habe) occupies the second position. This word order rule is a fundamental characteristic of German syntax.
What is the structure and function of the clause um meine Eltern zu überraschen?
This clause is an um…zu construction, which is used to express purpose. It translates to “in order to surprise my parents” and explains the reason behind buying the gift.
Why is the adjective schönes used in ein schönes Geschenk, and how is it correctly declined?
In German, adjectives that come before a noun are declined to match the gender, number, and case of the noun. Here, Geschenk is a neuter noun in the accusative case following the indefinite article ein, so the adjective receives the ending -es, forming schönes.
What does im Geschäft mean, and why is im used here?
Im Geschäft means “in the store” or “at the shop.” The word im is a contraction of in dem and is used with the dative case. It indicates the location where the buying action took place.
Why is the auxiliary verb habe used instead of bin in this sentence?
The auxiliary habe is used here because kaufen (to buy) is a transitive verb, and transitive verbs typically form the Perfekt tense with haben. The auxiliary bin is reserved for intransitive verbs that often express movement or a change of state.