Breakdown of Laut Plan reisen wir morgen in die Stadt.
wir
we
die Stadt
the city
morgen
tomorrow
der Plan
the plan
in
to
reisen
to travel
laut
according to
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Questions & Answers about Laut Plan reisen wir morgen in die Stadt.
What part of speech is laut in Laut Plan reisen wir morgen in die Stadt and what does it mean?
laut is a preposition meaning “according to.” Here it introduces the phrase laut Plan, which translates as “according to plan.”
Which case does laut take and why is there no article before Plan?
When used without an article, laut typically implies the genitive: laut Plan stands for the genitive of der Plan. If you want to make the case explicit you can say:
- laut des Plans (genitive)
- laut dem Plan (dative, colloquial)
Omitting the article is common in fixed phrases.
Why does the verb reisen come before the subject wir?
German main clauses follow the “V2” rule: the finite verb must be the second element. Since Laut Plan is the first element (an adverbial phrase), reisen becomes second, and then the subject wir appears.
Why do we use in die Stadt instead of nach Stadt or in der Stadt?
- in is a two-way preposition: it takes accusative for movement (wohin?) and dative for location (wo?). Here it’s movement, so you need accusative: in die Stadt.
- nach is only used without an article for proper place names (e.g. nach Berlin), not for common nouns like die Stadt.
Why is morgen placed before in die Stadt and can it appear elsewhere?
German typically orders adverbials as time → manner → place. morgen is a time adverbial, so it comes before in die Stadt (place). You can shuffle adverbials freely as long as the finite verb stays second. For example:
- Morgen reisen wir laut Plan in die Stadt.
- Wir reisen morgen laut Plan in die Stadt.
- Wir reisen laut Plan morgen in die Stadt.
What’s the difference between laut Plan and planmäßig?
- laut Plan is a prepositional phrase: “according to the plan.”
- planmäßig is an adverb: “as scheduled.”
Both convey more or less the same idea, but planmäßig is a single-word adverb and often sounds a bit more formal.
Can laut Plan be replaced by other expressions?
Yes. Common synonyms include:
- nach Plan (no article, very common)
- gemäß dem Plan (more formal, takes dative)
- entsprechend dem Plan
They all mean “according to the plan,” with slight differences in formality and case.
Why isn’t there a comma after Laut Plan?
In German, simple introductory adverbial phrases (like Laut Plan or Morgen) are not separated by a comma. Commas are reserved for clauses, lists or parenthetical elements, not for short adverbials.