Breakdown of Wir kontrollieren die Fenster im Haus.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
das Haus
the house
wir
we
das Fenster
the window
kontrollieren
to check
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Questions & Answers about Wir kontrollieren die Fenster im Haus.
Does kontrollieren here mean to control or to check?
In this sentence kontrollieren means to check or to inspect (e.g. making sure the windows are closed or in good condition). It does not mean to control in the sense of exercising power over someone or something.
Why is Fenster the same in singular and plural, and why is the article die?
Fenster is one of those German nouns whose form doesn’t change between singular and plural.
- Singular: das Fenster (the window)
- Plural: die Fenster (the windows)
The article die marks the plural. In singular it would be das, but in plural German always uses die regardless of gender.
What case is die Fenster, and how do I know?
die Fenster is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb kontrollieren (you check something). In the plural, the nominative and accusative forms of die are identical, so you still use die.
Why is it im Haus instead of ins Haus or in das Haus?
German distinguishes between motion (accusative) and location (dative) with the preposition in:
- in + accusative (motion toward) → ins Haus (into the house)
- in + dative (static location) → in dem Haus, contracted to im Haus (inside the house)
Here you’re describing where the windows are checked, so it’s a location (dative), hence im Haus.
Is kontrollieren a separable verb? How do you conjugate it with wir?
No, kontrollieren is not separable. It’s a regular -ieren verb. Conjugation with wir is straightforward: remove -en and add -en, giving wir kontrollieren.
Could I use prüfen or überprüfen instead of kontrollieren? What’s the nuance?
Yes.
- prüfen = to test or check (often in a more technical or exam-like sense)
- überprüfen = to double-check or verify (implies thoroughness)
- kontrollieren = to check or inspect (general use, can be a quick or routine check)
Can I change the word order, for example: Im Haus kontrollieren wir die Fenster?
Yes. German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule. You can front any element for emphasis:
- Wir kontrollieren die Fenster im Haus. (neutral)
- Im Haus kontrollieren wir die Fenster. (emphasizes the location)
Just make sure the finite verb (kontrollieren) remains in the second position.
Does im Haus strictly mean “inside the house,” or could it also mean “at the house”?
Generally im Haus means inside the house. If you wanted to say “at the house” (outside), you might use am Haus (an dem Haus) or specify vor dem Haus (in front of the house) or außen am Haus (on the outside of the house).