Ich zahle das Ticket in der Straßenbahn mit meinem Handy.

in

Breakdown of Ich zahle das Ticket in der Straßenbahn mit meinem Handy.

• ich: I
• mit: with
• mein: my

Questions & Answers about Ich zahle das Ticket in der Straßenbahn mit meinem Handy.

Why are all the nouns in Ich zahle das Ticket in der Straßenbahn mit meinem Handy. capitalized (e.g., Ticket, Straßenbahn, Handy)?

In German orthography, every noun—no matter where it appears in a sentence—must begin with a capital letter. That’s why you see Ticket, Straßenbahn, and Handy all capitalized.

Why is Ticket preceded by das? Couldn’t I say der Ticket or die Ticket?

German nouns have one of three grammatical genders: masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). The word Ticket is neuter, so its definite article is das. You cannot use der or die here.

Why isn’t there a preposition like für before das Ticket (as in “I pay for the ticket”)?

In English, you say “I pay for the ticket,” but in German the verb zahlen (to pay) takes a direct object without any extra preposition. So it’s simply das Ticket in the accusative case.

Why is in der Straßenbahn in the dative case?