Breakdown of Viele Menschen warten an der U-Bahn-Haltestelle.
viel
many
der Mensch
the person
warten
to wait
an
at
die U-Bahn-Haltestelle
the subway stop
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Questions & Answers about Viele Menschen warten an der U-Bahn-Haltestelle.
Why do we say Viele Menschen and not Viel Menschen?
In German, viele is used with countable plural nouns like Menschen. viel (without -e) is mainly used with uncountable nouns (e.g., viel Wasser).
What case is used after an in this sentence, and why is it an der?
The preposition an can take the dative case to indicate location in a static sense (“waiting at”). Haltestelle is a feminine noun (die Haltestelle), so in the dative it becomes der Haltestelle, giving an der Haltestelle.
What is U-Bahn-Haltestelle, and why does it have a hyphen?
U-Bahn-Haltestelle is a compound noun combining U-Bahn (subway) and Haltestelle (stop). The hyphen is often used when the first part is an abbreviation (here U for Untergrund).
Why do we capitalize Menschen and Haltestelle?
In German, all nouns are capitalized regardless of their position in a sentence.
Why isn't warten at the end of the sentence?
German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (warten) must be the second element. The non-finite parts (like an der U-Bahn-Haltestelle) can appear afterwards.
What's the difference between warten an and warten auf?
warten an + [location] means “to wait at a location” (e.g., an der Haltestelle). warten auf + [accusative] means “to wait for” someone or something.