Breakdown of Der Lehrer betont die richtige Antwort.
die Antwort
the answer
der Lehrer
the teacher
richtig
correct
betonen
to emphasize
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Questions & Answers about Der Lehrer betont die richtige Antwort.
Why is Der Lehrer in the nominative case?
In German, the subject (the one doing the action) always takes the nominative. Here, der Lehrer performs the action betont, so it’s in the nominative case.
How do I know die richtige Antwort is in the accusative case, and why is the article still die?
A transitive verb like betonen needs a direct object, which is marked by the accusative case. Die richtige Antwort is what is being emphasized, i.e. the direct object. Feminine singular uses die for both nominative and accusative, so the article form doesn’t change here.
Why does richtig get the ending -e in die richtige Antwort?
After a definite article, adjectives take the “weak” endings. For feminine singular in the accusative, the weak ending is -e, so richtig becomes richtige.
Why is betont placed in the second position, after Der Lehrer?
German main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second slot. Since Der Lehrer fills the first slot, betont comes immediately after.
What does betont mean here?
Betont is the third-person singular present tense of betonen, which means “to emphasize” or “to stress.”
How is betont pronounced?
Pronounce it roughly beh-TONT, with the main stress on the second syllable. The o sounds like the o in English more.
How would you express “The teacher emphasized the correct answer” in the simple past tense?
Use the preterite of betonen, which is betonte:
Der Lehrer betonte die richtige Antwort.
How do I form the present perfect of this sentence?
Combine haben in the present with the past participle betont:
Der Lehrer hat die richtige Antwort betont.
Can I invert the sentence to put more emphasis on die richtige Antwort? If so, how?
Yes. You can front the object and keep the verb in second position:
Die richtige Antwort betont der Lehrer. This highlights die richtige Antwort.
Is any comma needed in Der Lehrer betont die richtige Antwort?
No. It’s a straightforward Subject–Verb–Object main clause, so no comma is required.