Breakdown of Die Laterne wirft einen langen Schatten auf den Sand des Spielplatzes.
lang
long
auf
on
einen
a
der Schatten
the shadow
Questions & Answers about Die Laterne wirft einen langen Schatten auf den Sand des Spielplatzes.
Why is die Laterne in the nominative case?
Die Laterne is the subject of the verb wirft. In German, the subject of a sentence always stands in the nominative case. Since Laterne is a feminine noun, its singular nominative article is die.
Why does einen langen Schatten use the accusative case, and how do the article and adjective endings work here?
Einen langen Schatten is the direct object of wirft (what the lamp throws). Direct objects take the accusative.
- einen is the masculine singular accusative indefinite article.
- lang gets the weak adjective ending -en after an article that already shows case (here einen).
- Schatten is a masculine noun whose accusative singular form is identical to its nominative: Schatten.
What does einen Schatten werfen really mean, and isn’t werfen just “to throw”?
Literally werfen means “to throw,” but in the idiom einen Schatten werfen it translates as “to cast a shadow.” It’s a common German collocation where the action of “throwing” becomes “casting.”
Why does the verb werfen change to wirft in this sentence?