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Breakdown of Die Kassiererin steht an der Kasse.
stehen
to stand
an
at
die Kasse
the checkout
die Kassiererin
the cashier
Questions & Answers about Die Kassiererin steht an der Kasse.
What does Kassiererin mean, and how is the feminine form created?
Kassiererin is the feminine noun for “cashier.” German typically forms feminine agent nouns by adding the suffix -in to the masculine stem (Kassierer → Kassiererin).
Why is die used before Kassiererin?
Die is the definite article for feminine nouns in the nominative case. Since Kassiererin is a feminine subject here, it takes die.
What is steht, and why is it used in this sentence?
Steht is the third person singular present form of stehen (“to stand”). It indicates what the cashier is doing—she is standing.
Why is the preposition an followed by der in an der Kasse?
When an describes a static location (no movement), it governs the dative case. Kasse is feminine, so the dative singular article is der.
Could you contract an der to am here?
No. Am is a contraction of an dem (masculine/neuter dative). Because Kasse is feminine, you must use an der, not am.
Why not use in der Kasse instead of an der Kasse?
An der Kasse means “at the checkout counter.” In der Kasse would mean “inside the cash register,” which changes the meaning.
What kind of phrase is an der Kasse in this sentence?
It is a prepositional phrase functioning as an adverbial of place, specifying where the action (standing) takes place.
Can you omit the article and say an Kasse?
No. German generally requires the definite article in such fixed locative expressions, so an der Kasse is correct.
More from this lesson
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“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
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