Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ich bezahle das Ticket.
Why doesn’t this sentence use a preposition like in English pay for?
In German the verb bezahlen is transitive and takes a direct object. You simply say ich bezahle das Ticket without für.
If you use the simpler verb zahlen, you must add für, as in ich zahle für das Ticket.
What is the difference between zahlen and bezahlen?
- zahlen is the basic verb “to pay” and often appears without a direct object or with für (e.g. ich zahle für das Ticket) and with a dative object when you pay someone directly (e.g. ich zahle dir 10 Euro).
- bezahlen is the inseparable-prefix form meaning “to pay something” and always takes a direct accusative object (e.g. ich bezahle das Ticket, ich bezahle die Rechnung). In everyday speech Germans usually use bezahlen when naming what is being paid.
What case is das Ticket in, and how can I tell?
das Ticket is in the accusative case because it’s the direct object of bezahlen. In German the thing acted upon by a transitive verb takes the accusative. Since Ticket is neuter, its singular article das looks the same in nominative and accusative—you determine the case by its grammatical role.
Why is the word order Ich bezahle das Ticket (subject–verb–object)? Can I change it?