Breakdown of Ich trinke meinen Kaffee ohne Zucker.
trinken
to drink
ich
I
mein
my
der Kaffee
the coffee
ohne
without
der Zucker
the sugar
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Questions & Answers about Ich trinke meinen Kaffee ohne Zucker.
Why is meinen used instead of mein?
Because Kaffee is a masculine noun serving as the direct object (accusative). Possessive pronouns follow der-word endings, so mein becomes meinen in the masculine singular accusative.
What case does the preposition ohne require, and why?
ohne always takes the accusative case. Although Zucker has no visible ending as a mass noun, it’s grammatically accusative here because of ohne.
Why is there no article before Zucker?
Zucker is an uncountable mass noun when speaking generally. German typically omits the article for mass nouns in general contexts, so ohne Zucker = “without sugar.”
Could I omit meinen and just say Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Zucker?
Yes. Ich trinke Kaffee ohne Zucker is common and means “I drink coffee without sugar.” Including meinen (“my coffee”) adds a personal nuance but isn’t required.
Can I say Ich trinke meinen Kaffee nicht mit Zucker instead of ohne Zucker?
You can. Ich trinke meinen Kaffee nicht mit Zucker is correct but more wordy. ohne Zucker is more concise and idiomatic for “without sugar.”
Why is ohne Zucker placed after meinen Kaffee, and can I change the order?
German main-clause word order is Subject – Verb – other elements (object, adverbials). ohne Zucker is an adverbial prepositional phrase and naturally follows the object. You can front it for emphasis: Ohne Zucker trinke ich meinen Kaffee.