Breakdown of Morgens spaziert der Student durch den Wald, bevor er zur Universität geht.
gehen
to go
zu
to
er
he
durch
through
bevor
before
den
the; (masculine, accusative)
der Wald
the forest
morgens
in the morning
der Student
the student
der
the; (feminine, dative)
die Universität
the university
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Morgens spaziert der Student durch den Wald, bevor er zur Universität geht.
What does Morgens mean and why is it capitalized here?
It is a temporal adverb meaning in the mornings. It is capitalized here simply because it is the first word of the sentence; if you used it mid‑sentence, you would normally write morgens in lowercase.
Why is the verb spaziert placed before the subject der Student?
German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. Since Morgens occupies the first slot, spaziert comes next and the subject der Student follows.
Why is durch den Wald in the accusative case?
The preposition durch always governs the accusative. Here der Wald (masculine) becomes den Wald when you go through it.
Why is zur Universität used instead of something like in die Universität?
When you say you’re going to a place in the sense of “heading toward,” German uses zu + dative. Zu der Universität contracts to zur Universität. Using in die Universität would imply entering the building itself.
Why is there a comma before bevor and why does geht appear at the end of the clause?
Bevor is a subordinating conjunction, so the clause it introduces is set off by a comma and follows verb‑final word order. That’s why geht moves to the very end of the subordinate clause.
Could you also write this as “Der Student spaziert morgens durch den Wald, bevor er zur Universität geht.”? Would the meaning change?
Yes—you can start with the subject. You’d still obey the V2 rule (spaziert stays second) and move morgens after the verb. The overall meaning remains the same; you’ve just shifted the emphasis.
What is the difference between spazieren and spazieren gehen?
The idiom spazieren gehen literally means to go walking and is the common spoken form. The single verb spazieren (without gehen) is a bit more formal or literary and simply means to stroll. Both convey taking a walk.
Can you use am Morgen instead of morgens, and how would that affect word order or nuance?
Yes. Am Morgen is a prepositional phrase meaning in the morning. If you front it, you’d write Am Morgen spaziert der Student … and still follow V2. The nuance is nearly identical, though morgens often feels more habitual (“every morning”).