Breakdown of Ich schnalle den Sicherheitsgurt ab, bevor ich aus dem Auto steige.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
das Auto
the car
ich
I
bevor
before
Questions & Answers about Ich schnalle den Sicherheitsgurt ab, bevor ich aus dem Auto steige.
What does abschnallen mean, and why does the prefix ab appear at the end of the clause?
The verb in the main clause is the separable verb abschnallen (“to unfasten/unclip”). In present-tense main clauses, the prefix ab detaches and moves to the end. Hence Ich schnalle den Sicherheitsgurt ab literally “I un-clip the seat belt.”
Why is den Sicherheitsgurt in the accusative case?
Sicherheitsgurt is the direct object of the transitive verb abschnallen, so it takes the accusative. Since “Gurt” is masculine (der Gurt), its accusative article is den.
What is der Sicherheitsgurt in English?
Literally, Sicherheitsgurt means “safety belt.” The usual English term is seat belt.
Why is there a comma before bevor?
Bevor is a subordinating conjunction (“before”). German grammar requires a comma before any subordinate clause introduced by such conjunctions.
Why does steige come at the end of the clause bevor ich aus dem Auto steige, and what happens to the prefix aus?