Breakdown of Laut meinem Terminplan beginnt die Besprechung um zehn Uhr.
die Uhr
the clock
mein
my
beginnen
to begin
um
at
die Besprechung
the meeting
der Terminplan
the schedule
laut
according to
zehn
ten
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Questions & Answers about Laut meinem Terminplan beginnt die Besprechung um zehn Uhr.
What does laut mean in this sentence?
laut is a preposition meaning according to or as per. It attributes the information (“the meeting starts at ten”) to a source—in this case, your schedule.
Why is meinem Terminplan in the dative case, and why meinem instead of mein?
laut always takes the dative case. Terminplan is a masculine noun (der Terminplan), so in dative singular the possessive mein becomes meinem, yielding laut meinem Terminplan.
Why does the verb beginnt appear right after Laut meinem Terminplan, instead of after the subject?
German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule. No matter what comes first (even a prepositional phrase like Laut meinem Terminplan), the finite verb (beginnt) must occupy the second position in the sentence.
How do I know that Besprechung is feminine and takes die?
Most German nouns ending in -ung are feminine. Therefore, Besprechung is die Besprechung. You always capitalize and use the appropriate article for each gender.
Why is um used before zehn Uhr, and why is there no article before the time?
In German, um + clock time expresses a precise point in time: um zehn Uhr means “at ten o’clock.” Time expressions with hours do not take an article, so you don’t say um die zehn Uhr.
Could I say nach meinem Terminplan instead of laut meinem Terminplan, and would that change the meaning?
Yes. nach meinem Terminplan also means “according to my schedule.” The nuance is that laut is slightly more formal and common in written contexts, while nach is neutral and used often in conversation.
What’s the difference between Terminplan, Zeitplan, and Terminkalender?
• Terminplan focuses on scheduled appointments (Termine).
• Zeitplan is a broader timetable or allocation of time.
• Terminkalender literally means “appointment calendar,” often a personal organizer.
Choose based on context: for specific meeting lists use Terminplan; for overall time allocation Zeitplan; for a diary-style calendar Terminkalender.