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Breakdown of Der Vogel flattert im Garten.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
der Garten
the garden
der Vogel
the bird
flattern
to flutter
Questions & Answers about Der Vogel flattert im Garten.
Why is the noun Vogel capitalized?
In German all nouns—not just proper names—are capitalized. This helps you spot nouns in a sentence and is a core spelling rule.
Why is the article der used before Vogel?
Vogel is a masculine noun and here it serves as the subject of the sentence (nominative case). The masculine singular definite article in the nominative is der, so you get der Vogel (“the bird”).
Why does the verb end in -t: flattert?
In the present tense, third-person singular of most regular German verbs adds -t to the stem. The infinitive is flattern (stem flatter-), so for er/sie/es you attach -t, yielding flattert.
What’s the difference between flattern and fliegen?
Both mean “to fly,” but flattern implies a quick, fluttering or flapping motion (think of a small bird or a butterfly), whereas fliegen is the general term for flying (airplanes, birds in steady flight, etc.).
Why is it im Garten and what case is Garten in?
Here in indicates a static location (“in the garden”), which in German requires the dative case. Garten is masculine, so the dative singular article is dem, giving in dem Garten. German contracts in + dem to im, so you get im Garten.
What is the standard word order in Der Vogel flattert im Garten?
This is a main clause with a simple statement. German places the finite verb in second position. The order is:
- Subject (Der Vogel)
- Verb (flattert)
- Adverbial phrase (location) (im Garten)
How would you say “A bird flutters in the garden”?
Replace the definite article der with the masculine nominative indefinite article ein. Everything else stays the same:
Ein Vogel flattert im Garten.
How would you say “The birds flutter in the garden”?
Make Vogel plural (Vögel, adding an Umlaut and -n) and change the article to the plural definite die. The verb switches to third-person plural ending -en (the infinitive):
Die Vögel flattern im Garten.
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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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