Nach der Pause suche ich meinen Schlüssel.

After the break I look for my key.

Breakdown of Nach der Pause suche ich meinen Schlüssel.

• ich: I
• nach: after
• mein: my
• die Pause: the break
• suchen: to look for
• der Schlüssel: the key

Questions & Answers about Nach der Pause suche ich meinen Schlüssel.

Why is Pause preceded by der in Nach der Pause?

The preposition nach always governs the dative case. Pause is a feminine noun (die Pause), and its dative singular form is der Pause, so you get nach der Pause.

Why does the verb suche come before the subject ich?

German main clauses follow the “verb‑second” (V2) rule. Because Nach der Pause is the first element, the finite verb suche must come next, and then the subject ich follows.

Why is meinen Schlüssel in the accusative case?

The verb suchen is transitive and takes a direct object, which in German must be in the accusative. Schlüssel is masculine (der Schlüssel), so in accusative singular the possessive pronoun mein changes to meinen, giving meinen Schlüssel.

Could I drop the article and say nach Pause instead of nach der Pause?

No. When referring to a specific time period in German, you generally need the definite article. Nach der Pause is the correct form; nach Pause sounds unnatural and is ungrammatical here.

Can I move Nach der Pause elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. German word order is flexible. You could say:
“Ich suche nach der Pause meinen Schlüssel.”
Here the subject comes first, the verb stays second, and the time phrase moves to third position. The meaning stays the same.

Why is there no comma after Nach der Pause?

In German, you don’t place a comma between a prepositional adverbial (like Nach der Pause) and the main clause that follows. Commas are reserved for separating clauses or lists, not simple adverbials.

When should I use suchen with a direct object versus suche nach?

Both patterns exist in German:

• Transitive: Ich suche meinen Schlüssel. (Accusative object)
• Intransitive with preposition: Ich suche nach meinem Schlüssel. (Dative object of nach)
  Using the direct object is more compact; using nach adds emphasis on “looking around for” and puts the noun into a prepositional phrase.

Why are Pause and Schlüssel capitalized?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in a sentence. That’s why Pause and Schlüssel always start with a capital letter.

Can Nach der Pause ever mean “north of the break” or something else?

No. Although nach can also mean “to” or “towards” (as in nach Berlin), when it’s followed by a time noun like Pause, it unambiguously means “after.” Context and the type of noun decide the meaning.

Could I use the future tense instead of the present here?

Yes. German often uses the present tense for future events, but you can make it explicit:
“Nach der Pause werde ich meinen Schlüssel suchen.”
Here werde + infinitive clearly marks the future.