Breakdown of Der Mann zieht seine Hose aus.
der Mann
the man
die Hose
the pants
ausziehen
to take off
seine
his
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Questions & Answers about Der Mann zieht seine Hose aus.
What does the separable verb ausziehen mean in this sentence, and how does its structure work?
In Der Mann zieht seine Hose aus, the main verb is ausziehen, which means “to take off” (especially clothes). It is a separable verb, meaning that in a main clause the prefix aus is detached and placed at the end of the sentence, while the conjugated part zieht appears in the second position.
Why is the prefix aus not attached to zieht in this sentence?
German has many separable verbs where the prefix moves to the end of the clause in finite main sentences. Here, ausziehen splits into zieht (the conjugated base) in the second position and aus at the end, following the standard rule for separable verbs in German main clauses.
What are the subject and object of the sentence, and how are they indicated?
The subject is Der Mann ("the man") in the nominative case, and the direct object is seine Hose ("his pants") in the accusative case. The sentence clearly shows who is performing the action (the man) and what is affected by the action (his pants).
How does the sentence indicate possession with the phrase seine Hose?
The word seine is a possessive pronoun referring back to Der Mann. It agrees in gender, case, and number with Hose, which is a feminine noun. This construction shows that the pants belong to the man.
Why is Hose singular in German even though in English we say “pants,” which is plural?
In German, Hose is treated as a singular noun that refers to a pair of pants. Though English uses a plural form for the clothing item, German grammar considers the pair as a single item, so die Hose remains singular.
How would the separation of the prefix change if this sentence were in a subordinate clause?
In subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb is typically sent to the end of the clause and the separable prefix reattaches to form the infinitive verb. For example, in a subordinate clause you might say, „Ich weiß, dass der Mann seine Hose auszieht.“—here auszieht appears as one unit at the clause’s end.