Questions & Answers about Die Schuhe passen mir gut.
Why is mir used instead of mich?
Because passen is one of several German verbs that take a dative object, not an accusative. In this sentence, mir (dative) means “to/for me,” whereas mich would be accusative and doesn’t work with passen.
What is the subject of the sentence?
The subject is Die Schuhe. They are in the nominative plural, so the verb passen agrees with them.
Why does the verb passen come in second position?
German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second element. Here, Die Schuhe is the first element, so passen follows right after.
Why is passen translated as “fit” or “suit” in English?
Although passen literally means “to fit,” it can also carry the sense of “suit” or “work for someone.” In this context, it means “These shoes fit me well” or “These shoes suit me.”
Why is gut placed at the end of the sentence?
Adverbs of manner (like gut) typically follow the verb and any objects in German. So after passen mir, gut naturally comes last to describe how the fitting occurs.