Nach Feierabend spiele ich draußen mit der Katze.

Nach Feierabend spiele ich draußen mit der Katze.
After work I play outside with the cat.
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Questions & Answers about Nach Feierabend spiele ich draußen mit der Katze.

What does the compound noun Feierabend mean literally, and why is it used without an article in Nach Feierabend?
Literally, Feierabend combines Feier (“celebration”) and Abend (“evening”), but idiomatically it means “the end of the workday” or “after work.” In the phrase Nach Feierabend, it functions as a fixed time expression (“after work”), and German often omits the article in such temporal prepositional phrases to create a concise adverbial expression.
Why is the verb spiele placed immediately after Nach Feierabend, before the subject ich?
German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position. Since Nach Feierabend (a time adverbial) is the first element, the verb spiele comes next, pushing the subject ich into third position.
What kind of word is draußen, and why is it spelled with ß instead of ss?
draußen is an adverb meaning “outside” (indicating location). According to German spelling rules, a long vowel (here au) is followed by ß, not ss. Note also that draußen refers to being outdoors in general, whereas außen (without dr) usually means “on the outside” of something (e.g. the external side of a building).
Why does the preposition mit take der Katze instead of die Katze, and what case is this?
The preposition mit always requires the dative case. Katze is a feminine noun; its dative singular article is der. Therefore mit der Katze means “with the cat.”
Could I say nach dem Feierabend or am Feierabend instead of nach Feierabend, and how do they differ?
  • nach dem Feierabend: Grammatically correct but uncommon—German typically uses the set phrase nach Feierabend without an article.
  • am Feierabend (an + dem): Means “at quitting time” or “around the end of the workday,” focusing on the moment when work ends rather than the period after it.
Why are the elements Nach Feierabend, draußen, and mit der Katze ordered in that way?

German generally orders adverbial elements in the sequence when → where → how/with whom:

  1. Nach Feierabend = when
  2. draußen = where
  3. mit der Katze = how/with whom (accompaniment)
    This yields the natural word order: time, place, manner/accompaniment.
Why is the simple present tense spiele used here instead of a continuous or progressive form?
German does not have a distinct progressive aspect. The simple present (Präsens) covers both habitual and ongoing actions. Thus ich spiele draußen can mean either “I play outside” or “I am playing outside,” depending on context. A colloquial alternative uses bin … am Spielen (e.g. ich bin draußen mit der Katze am Spielen), but in standard German the simple present is preferred.