Ich klopfe den Teppich aus.

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Breakdown of Ich klopfe den Teppich aus.

• der Teppich: the carpet
• ausklopfen: to dust off

Questions & Answers about Ich klopfe den Teppich aus.

What is the verb ausklopfen, and why is it split into klopfe … aus in this sentence?

Ausklopfen is a separable-prefix verb made of aus- (out) + klopfen (to knock/beat). In a main clause in the present tense, the prefix detaches and moves to the end of the clause: Ich klopfe den Teppich aus.

Why is den Teppich in the accusative case here?

Teppich is masculine (der Teppich). As the direct object of the transitive verb ausklopfen, it takes the accusative form, which for masculine nouns is den.

How would I put this sentence into the perfect tense?

Use haben as the auxiliary and the past participle ausgeklopft. The perfect tense sentence is: Ich habe den Teppich ausgeklopft.

Can I ever write ausklopfe instead of splitting it?

In main clauses you must split. You only attach the prefix in non-V2 contexts, such as infinitives (ausklopfen) or final verb position in subordinate clauses (…, weil ich den Teppich ausklopfe).

What’s the difference between ausklopfen and ausschütteln when cleaning a carpet?