Breakdown of Der neue Geldautomat neben dem Platz funktioniert auch, wenn der Strom im Rathaus ausfällt.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
neu
new
auch
also
funktionieren
to work
wenn
when
neben
next to
der Platz
the square
das Rathaus
the town hall
der Geldautomat
the ATM
der Strom
the power
ausfallen
to fail
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Questions & Answers about Der neue Geldautomat neben dem Platz funktioniert auch, wenn der Strom im Rathaus ausfällt.
Why is neben followed by dem Platz instead of den Platz?
Because neben is a two-way preposition that takes the dative case when indicating a static location. Here it tells us where the ATM is, so you use dative: neben dem Platz.
Why is the adjective neue not neuer in der neue Geldautomat?
After a definite article like der, adjectives follow the weak declension pattern. In the nominative masculine singular they take an -e ending: der neue Geldautomat.
What does im Rathaus mean and how is it formed?
im is the contraction of in dem. With in + dative it denotes a fixed location (“inside the town hall”), so im Rathaus = “in the town hall.”
Why is there a comma before wenn?
German requires a comma before any subordinate clause. Since wenn introduces a subordinate (conditional) clause, you separate it from the main clause with a comma.
What role does auch play in this sentence?
Here auch means “also” or “even.” It emphasizes that the ATM continues to work even under the condition described by the wenn-clause.
Why is the verb ausfällt placed at the end of the clause?
In German subordinate clauses (like those introduced by wenn), the finite verb is sent to the very end of the clause.
Why is it ausfällt instead of fällt aus?
ausfallen is a separable-prefix verb. In subordinate clauses you do not split the prefix off; you keep aus attached to the stem, yielding ausfällt.
What’s the difference between wenn and wann?
wenn is a conjunction for conditional or temporal clauses (meaning “if” or “whenever”). wann is an interrogative or indirect question word for asking “when?”. Here you need wenn to introduce the condition.
Could we use falls instead of wenn in this sentence?
Yes. falls also introduces a conditional clause meaning “in case.” You could say:
Der neue Geldautomat neben dem Platz funktioniert auch, falls der Strom im Rathaus ausfällt.
Can we move the wenn-clause to the front?
Yes. You can start with the subordinate clause:
Wenn der Strom im Rathaus ausfällt, funktioniert der neue Geldautomat neben dem Platz auch.
You still need the comma and the verb-final rule in the subordinate clause.