Learn Hardcore German: Ich hole einen Stuhl aus dem Haus.

In German, the direct object takes the accusative case. The noun Stuhl is masculine, so the indefinite article ein changes to einen in the accusative singular.

What case is aus dem Haus and why is it dem and not den?

The preposition aus always takes the dative case because it indicates removal from the inside of something. Haus is das Haus (neuter), so its dative singular article is dem (not den, which would be dative plural or accusative plural masculine).

Why do we use aus here instead of von?

Aus means “out of” (from inside), while von means “from” in a more general sense (often surface or source). Since you’re fetching a chair from inside the house, you use aus dem Haus. If you were taking something from a table’s surface, for example, you’d use vom Tisch (von + dem).

Could I say Ich hole einen Stuhl heraus instead?

Yes. Herausholen is a separable verb meaning “to fetch out”. You can say Ich hole einen Stuhl heraus, especially if it’s clear you’re taking it out of the house. For extra clarity, Ich hole einen Stuhl aus dem Haus heraus also works, but Ich hole einen Stuhl heraus is more concise.

What’s the difference between holen and nehmen?

Holen means “to go and fetch” something (moving toward the speaker’s location), while nehmen means “to take” something (picking it up where you already are). Since you’re going into the house to get a chair and bring it out, you use holen.

Could I move aus dem Haus to the front of the sentence?

Yes, German word order is flexible. You can say Aus dem Haus hole ich einen Stuhl, placing the prepositional phrase first for emphasis. However, the neutral, everyday order is Ich hole einen Stuhl aus dem Haus.

Can I drop the article and say aus Haus?

No. In German you generally cannot omit the article before buildings or locations in prepositional phrases. It must be aus dem Haus.

Is holen a regular or irregular verb?

Holen is a regular verb. Its present‑tense conjugation is: ich hole, du holst, er/sie/es holt, wir holen, ihr holt, sie/Sie holen. The simple past is holte, and the past participle is geholt.

How is Stuhl pronounced?

Stuhl is pronounced [ʃtuːl]. The St at the beginning sounds like “sht”, the u is a long /uː/ vowel, and the h indicates the vowel is long but is otherwise silent.

Why is the verb hole in the second position and not at the end?

In a main German clause, the finite verb always occupies the second position (V2 word order). That’s why Ich (the subject) comes first, hole (the verb) is second, and the rest follows.