Breakdown of Der Bäcker öffnet seinen Laden jeden Tag um sieben Uhr.
der Tag
the day
die Uhr
the clock
sein
his
öffnen
to open
Questions & Answers about Der Bäcker öffnet seinen Laden jeden Tag um sieben Uhr.
Why is Der used before Bäcker in this sentence?
Because Der Bäcker is the subject of the sentence and in German the masculine definite article in the nominative case is der. It signals “the baker” as the doer of the action.
Why is it seinen Laden and not sein Laden?
Seinen is the correct form of the possessive pronoun sein (his) when modifying a masculine noun (Laden) in the accusative case. Possessive pronouns in German decline like adjectives:
- Nominative: sein Laden (would be subject)
- Accusative: seinen Laden (direct object here)
What case is seinen Laden and how do you know?
It’s in the accusative case, because Laden is the direct object of the verb öffnet (what is being opened). In German, direct objects take the accusative.
Why is jeden Tag used instead of immer or täglich?
Jeden Tag literally means “every day” and is the most direct translation of “each day.” You could also say täglich öffnet der Bäcker seinen Laden um sieben Uhr, but jeden Tag is more colloquial and emphasizes the routine.