Breakdown of Der Lehrer beschreibt das Thema im Unterricht.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
das Thema
the topic
der Unterricht
the class
der Lehrer
the teacher
beschreiben
to describe
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Der Lehrer beschreibt das Thema im Unterricht.
Why are Lehrer, Thema, and Unterricht capitalized?
In German, all nouns are always capitalized. This orthographic rule applies regardless of where they appear in a sentence, helping you identify nouns at a glance.
What does beschreibt mean here? Could I use erklärt instead?
beschreibt means “describes” (outlines or portrays details). erklärt means “explains” (clarifies or makes clear). Both can fit in a teaching context, but beschreibt focuses on giving a detailed picture, while erklärt emphasizes clarification and understanding.
Why is the verb beschreibt in the second position?
Standard German main clauses follow the verb‑second (V2) rule: the finite verb occupies the second position, no matter what element comes first (subject, time, place, etc.). Here, Der Lehrer is first, so beschreibt comes second.
How do I know Der Lehrer is in the nominative case?
The subject of a sentence takes the nominative. Der Lehrer is performing the action (he describes), so it’s in the nominative. The article der is the masculine singular nominative form.
Why is das Thema in the accusative case?
The direct object (what’s being acted upon) takes the accusative. das Thema is what’s described, so it’s accusative. Neuter singular accusative also uses das, identical to its nominative form.
What does im stand for in im Unterricht, and why is it dative?
im is a contraction of in dem. When in indicates a location (static “in class”), it governs the dative. Unterricht is masculine (der Unterricht), so in + dem → im, with dem as the dative masculine singular article.
Can I move im Unterricht to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. You can front the prepositional phrase for emphasis, but you must keep the verb second:
Im Unterricht beschreibt der Lehrer das Thema.
This shifts the focus onto im Unterricht.
How would I say A teacher describes a topic in class in German?
Use indefinite articles and keep the same case roles:
Ein Lehrer beschreibt ein Thema im Unterricht.
Ein Lehrer (nom. masc.), ein Thema (acc. neut.), im remains the contraction for dative.