Breakdown of Die Katze schläft im Haus, doch der Hund spielt draußen.
spielen
to play
das Haus
the house
der Hund
the dog
draußen
outside
die Katze
the cat
schlafen
to sleep
im
in the; (masculine or neuter)
doch
but
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Questions & Answers about Die Katze schläft im Haus, doch der Hund spielt draußen.
What does the conjunction doch mean in this sentence, and why is it used instead of aber?
Doch in this sentence functions as a contrasting conjunction similar to “but” or “however” in English. While both doch and aber can translate as "but," doch often provides a slightly stronger or more unexpected contrast. Here, it emphasizes the difference between the cat sleeping inside and the dog playing outside.
Why is im Haus used instead of in dem Haus?
Im is a contraction of in dem. In German, contractions like im are very common in everyday language to make speech and writing sound more natural. So, im Haus simply means "in the house."
How is the sentence structured, and what can we learn about German word order from it?
The sentence is composed of two independent clauses linked by the conjunction doch. In each clause, the conjugated verb occupies the second position—a hallmark of German main clause word order. In the first clause, Die Katze schläft im Haus, the subject (Die Katze) comes first, followed by the verb (schläft) and then the complement. In the second clause, doch der Hund spielt draußen, the structure is similar, with the subject (der Hund) immediately after doch, the verb (spielt) following, and the adverb (draußen) at the end, indicating location.
Why do Katze and Hund have different articles (die and der)?
In German, every noun is assigned a grammatical gender. Katze is a feminine noun, so it takes the article die in the singular form. On the other hand, Hund is a masculine noun, which uses the article der in the singular. These articles must be memorized with the noun since they are an integral part of German grammar.
What does draußen mean, and why is it placed at the end of the second clause?
Draußen means "outside" in English. In this sentence, it is positioned at the end of the clause because German often places adverbs of place at the end to emphasize the location of the action. This placement follows the common structure for adverbs in German sentences.