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Breakdown of Eine ausgewogene Ernährung bleibt mein Ziel.
bleiben
to remain
mein
my
ausgewogen
balanced
die Ernährung
the diet
das Ziel
the goal
Questions & Answers about Eine ausgewogene Ernährung bleibt mein Ziel.
Why is Ernährung feminine? How do I know that?
All German nouns ending in -ung, like Ernährung, are feminine. This is one of those reliable patterns you can memorize.
Why does the adjective ausgewogene end in -e?
Because it modifies a feminine noun (Ernährung) in the nominative case with an indefinite article (eine). In the weak adjective declension after eine for feminine nominative singular, adjectives take the -e ending.
What case is Eine ausgewogene Ernährung, and why is it the subject?
It’s nominative because it’s the subject of the verb bleibt. In German main clauses, the subject often comes before the verb (which must be in second position), and that slot typically holds a nominative phrase.
Why is mein Ziel also in the nominative case? Isn’t that the object?
Bleiben is a copular (linking) verb like sein. It links two nominative elements: the subject (Eine ausgewogene Ernährung) and the predicate nominative (mein Ziel). So mein Ziel is not an object but a second nominative element.
Can I ever put an article before Ziel in mein Ziel?
No. A possessive pronoun like mein replaces the indefinite or definite article, so you never combine mein Ziel with another article (like ein or das).
Could I use ist instead of bleibt?
Yes. Eine ausgewogene Ernährung ist mein Ziel is perfectly correct and means “A balanced diet is my goal.” Bleibt adds the nuance “remains,” implying continuity from a previous point in time.
What if I want to emphasize mein Ziel? Can I front it?
Absolutely. German word order is flexible for emphasis. You can say Mein Ziel bleibt eine ausgewogene Ernährung, which highlights mein Ziel rather than the diet itself.
Are there other ways to say ausgewogene in this sentence?
Yes. You might use gesunde (eine gesunde Ernährung = “a healthy diet”) or less commonly balancierte (eine balancierte Ernährung), though ausgewogen is the standard term for “balanced.”
More from this lesson
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“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
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