Log inSign up

Der Kellner bringt die Speisekarte.

Der Kellner bringt die Speisekarte.
The waiter brings the menu.
FromLesson 12inHardcore German

Breakdown of Der Kellner bringt die Speisekarte.

bringen
to bring
der Kellner
the waiter
die Speisekarte
the menu

Questions & Answers about Der Kellner bringt die Speisekarte.

Why is Der Kellner used instead of Die Kellner or Das Kellner?
German nouns have grammatical gender. Kellner (meaning “waiter”) is a masculine noun. In the nominative singular (the subject of a sentence), masculine nouns take the article der. That’s why we say der Kellner.
Why is die Speisekarte used here, and what case is it?
Speisekarte (meaning “menu”) is a feminine noun. In the accusative singular (the direct object), feminine nouns also take the article die. Since die Speisekarte is what the waiter brings (the direct object), it appears in the accusative case.
How can I tell it’s the accusative case and not the nominative?

You identify cases by function in the sentence:

  • Nominative: subject (who/what does the action) → Der Kellner
  • Accusative: direct object (who/what receives the action) → die Speisekarte

Even though feminine die looks the same in nominative and accusative, you know Speisekarte is the object because it’s what’s being brought.

How is the verb bringen conjugated, and why is it bringt here?

bringen (to bring) is a mixed/strong verb. In the present tense, third person singular (er/sie/es) gets an ‑t ending: ich bringe
du bringst
er/sie/es bringt
…
So Der Kellner bringt = “The waiter brings.”

Why is the word order Der Kellner bringt die Speisekarte (Subject‑Verb‑Object)?

In a main clause, German follows the Verb‑Second (V2) rule:

  1. Start with the subject Der Kellner
  2. Place the finite verb bringt in second position
  3. Follow with the object die Speisekarte
    That’s why the order is S‑V‑O here.
Why are Kellner and Speisekarte capitalized?
German orthography rules dictate that all nouns are capitalized, regardless of their position in the sentence. That’s why you always see Kellner, Speisekarte, Auto, Haus, etc., with an initial capital letter.
Could I use another verb like reichen or servieren instead of bringen?

Yes. In a restaurant context:

  • reichen (to hand, to pass): Der Kellner reicht die Speisekarte.
  • servieren (to serve): Der Kellner serviert Ihnen die Speisekarte.
    bringen is more general (“to bring”), while reichen emphasizes handing over, and servieren often implies a more formal serving of courses.
What’s the difference between Speisekarte and Menü?
  • Speisekarte = the menu you read to choose dishes (the full list).
  • Menü = a set menu or “prix fixe” with predetermined courses.
    In casual speech, some people say Menü to mean the menu card, but technically Speisekarte is the list, and Menü is the meal deal.
How would I say this sentence in the past tense?

German commonly uses the present perfect for spoken past: Der Kellner hat die Speisekarte gebracht.
In written narrative (or in formal/older style), you can use simple past: Der Kellner brachte die Speisekarte.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning German

Master German — from Der Kellner bringt die Speisekarte to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning German freeBrowse the full course