Breakdown of Normalerweise trinke ich Wasser am Tisch.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
trinken
to drink
das Wasser
the water
ich
I
der Tisch
the table
an
at
normalerweise
usually
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Questions & Answers about Normalerweise trinke ich Wasser am Tisch.
Why does the verb trinke come in second position even though the sentence starts with Normalerweise?
In German main clauses the finite verb must occupy the second position (the V2 rule). Starting with Normalerweise counts as the “first element,” so trinke follows immediately as the second element.
Can I also say “Ich trinke normalerweise Wasser am Tisch”?
Yes. Placing normalerweise after the subject is perfectly correct. That yields the word order: Subject (Ich) – Verb (trinke) – Adverb (normalerweise) – Object (Wasser) – Prepositional phrase (am Tisch). Beginning with the adverb merely shifts emphasis and triggers inversion.
Why is there no article before Wasser?
Wasser is an uncountable (mass) noun in German when spoken of in general terms. Just as in English (“I drink water”), you drop the article. If you wanted “a glass of water,” you’d say ein Glas Wasser.
Why is Tisch capitalized even in the middle of the sentence?
In German all nouns are capitalized regardless of their position in the sentence.
What case is Tisch in, and why?
Here Tisch is in the dative case because the preposition an takes dative when indicating a location (“at” something).
What exactly does am stand for?
am is the contraction of an dem. German often combines prepositions with the definite article in the dative:
- an dem → am
- in dem → im
Could I say auf dem Tisch instead of am Tisch?
You could, but the meaning changes:
- am Tisch (“at the table”) implies sitting beside or at it.
- auf dem Tisch (“on the table”) means physically on its surface.
Why is the sentence in the present tense if it describes a habitual action?
In German (as in English), the present tense is used for habitual actions or general truths. Normalerweise trinke ich Wasser am Tisch simply expresses “I usually drink water at the table.”