Breakdown of Wir haben bald ein kleines Familienfest, und meine Cousine kommt auch zu Besuch.
und
and
kommen
to come
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
wir
we
zu
to
klein
small
haben
to have
auch
also
meine
my
der Besuch
the visit
bald
soon
das Familienfest
the family gathering
die Cousine
the cousin
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Questions & Answers about Wir haben bald ein kleines Familienfest, und meine Cousine kommt auch zu Besuch.
What does bald mean in this sentence, and how does its placement affect the meaning?
Bald translates to “soon”. It tells us that the event—the family celebration—is going to happen in the near future. In the sentence, its position right after the verb haben emphasizes the timing of the celebration as an impending event.
Why is the adjective kleines used with the ending -es in ein kleines Familienfest?
In this phrase, Familienfest is a neuter noun functioning as the direct object in the sentence, which puts it in the accusative case. When an indefinite article (ein) is used with a neuter noun in the accusative, the adjective preceding the noun takes the ending -es. This is a result of German adjective declension rules.
How is the compound noun Familienfest formed, and what does it mean?
Familienfest is formed by combining Familie (family) and Fest (celebration, festival). This compound literally means a family celebration or family party. Additionally, since Fest is a neuter noun, the compound noun retains the neuter gender.
What does the phrase kommt auch zu Besuch mean, and how is it structured?
The phrase kommt auch zu Besuch means “is also coming for a visit.” It uses the fixed expression zu Besuch kommen, which translates to “to visit” or “to come visiting.” The word auch adds the meaning of “also,” indicating that the cousin’s visit is an additional occurrence alongside the family celebration.
Why is there a comma before und in this sentence, and is it mandatory?
The comma is used to separate two independent clauses: “Wir haben bald ein kleines Familienfest” and “meine Cousine kommt auch zu Besuch.” In German punctuation, a comma before coordinating conjunctions like und is not always required in every instance, but it is often included for clarity when both clauses are complete and could stand alone as separate sentences.
What tense are the verbs haben and kommt in, and why is that tense used here?
Both haben and kommt are in the present tense. In German, the present tense is frequently used not only to describe actions happening right now but also to refer to future events—especially when the context makes the timing clear. Here, it indicates that both the family celebration and the cousin’s visit are scheduled to occur soon.