Learn Hardcore German: Danach rennen wir ohne Pause durch den Park, und das Wasser im See glänzt im Mondlicht. - After that we run through the park without a break, and the water in the lake gleams in the moonlight.

Danach means “after that” or “afterwards.” It’s a temporal adverbial. In German you can put such an adverbial first, but you must still obey the “verb‑second” (V2) rule. That means:
1st position: Danach (the adverbial)
2nd position: rennen (the finite verb)
3rd position: wir (the subject)

Why is there no article in ohne Pause?

ohne is a preposition that takes the accusative case. With abstract nouns (like Pause) or in set phrases, German often drops the article. So instead of ohne eine Pause, you say ohne Pause, meaning “without a pause.”

Why is it durch den Park and not durch die Park?

The preposition durch always takes the accusative case. Park is masculine (der Park). In the accusative, der changes to den, so you get durch den Park (“through the park”).

What’s the difference between rennen and laufen?

• rennen = to run quickly, to sprint or dash.
• laufen = to go on foot; it can mean “to walk” or “to run/jog” depending on context, but often implies a more moderate pace.

Here, rennen emphasizes speed (“we dash through the park”).

What does glänzt mean?

glänzen means “to shine,” “to sparkle,” or “to gleam.” In this sentence, das Wasser (the water) is reflecting the moonlight, so glänzt = “sparkles” or “glistens.”

Why is im Mondlicht used? What does im stand for?

im is a contraction of in + dem. The preposition in when expressing location (where?) takes the dative case. Mondlicht is neuter (das Mondlicht), so dem Mondlicht becomes im Mondlicht, meaning “in the moonlight.”

In the second clause, why does das Wasser im See glänzt im Mondlicht still have the verb in second position after und?

When you connect two main clauses with the coordinating conjunction und, each clause maintains normal main‑clause word order: the subject comes first (after und), then the finite verb in second position. Hence:
... durch den Park, und das Wasser im See (subject) glänzt (verb) im Mondlicht (rest).

Why is there a comma before und, and is it necessary?

Generally, German does not require a comma before und when linking main clauses. Here the comma is optional and used for stylistic reasons—to signal a pause or to improve readability when the clauses are relatively long.