Breakdown of Neun Vögel singen im Garten.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
der Garten
the garden
singen
to sing
der Vogel
the bird
neun
nine
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Questions & Answers about Neun Vögel singen im Garten.
Why is im used here instead of in dem?
In German, certain preposition + article combinations contract for ease of pronunciation. in dem becomes im (just like an dem becomes am, zu dem becomes zum, etc.). So im Garten is simply the contracted form of in dem Garten, meaning “in the garden.”
What case is Garten in, and why?
Garten is in the dative case because the preposition in can govern the dative when indicating location (“where?”). So in + dative dem Garten → contracted to im Garten.
Why is Vögel written with an Umlaut, and how is the plural formed?
The singular is der Vogel (bird). To form the plural of many masculine and neuter nouns, German often adds -e and, in some cases, an Umlaut to the stem vowel. Here, Vogel → Vögel: stem Vogel + plural -e + Umlaut on o.
Why isn’t there an article before Neun Vögel?
When a numeral (like neun) directly modifies a noun, no additional article is needed. You can say neun Vögel (nine birds) much like you say “nine birds” in English without “the” or “some.”
Why is the verb singen in its base form here, rather than singenen or something else?
Because singen is conjugated for the third-person plural subject Neun Vögel. The infinitive is singen, and the 3 p. pl. form is also singen (ich singe, du singst, er/sie/es singt, wir singen, ihr singt, sie/Sie singen).
Why does the verb singen appear in the second position rather than at the end of the sentence?
German main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) word order. That means the conjugated verb must occupy the second position in the sentence, regardless of what comes first. Here, the subject phrase Neun Vögel is first, and singen is second.
Why is Garten capitalized?
All German nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in a sentence. Since Garten is a noun, it must begin with a capital letter.
How do you pronounce Vögel and singen?
- Vögel: /ˈføːɡəl/ – the ö sounds like the “i” in “bird” (British) or like a rounded “e.”
- singen: /ˈzɪŋən/ – “s” is voiced (like English “z”), “i” as in “sit,” “ng” as in “sing,” and a final schwa /ə/ for the “-en.”
Can I say Neun die Vögel singen im Garten if I want to specify “the nine birds”?
No. If you want a definite article, you’d say Die neun Vögel singen im Garten. The article die comes before the numeral (die neun Vögel) and die is declined to match plural nominative.