Breakdown of Am Samstag staubsaugen wir das Wohnzimmer.
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
wir
we
das Wohnzimmer
the living room
an
on
staubsaugen
to vacuum
der Samstag
Saturday
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Questions & Answers about Am Samstag staubsaugen wir das Wohnzimmer.
Why do we use Am Samstag instead of just Samstag?
The phrase am Samstag means “on Saturday.” German expresses days of the week with the preposition an plus the dative article dem, which contracts to am. You can’t drop am when specifying a day in a full sentence.
Why is staubsaugen placed immediately after the time expression, and why is wir after the verb?
German main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule. The time phrase Am Samstag occupies position one; the finite verb (staubsaugen) must come second; the subject (wir) then appears in third position.
Is staubsaugen a separable verb? Why isn’t it split into saugen and Staub?
Although it looks like a separable prefix, staub- is stressed here, making staubsaugen an inseparable compound verb. Inseparable verbs stay intact in main clauses: staubsaugen wir, not wir saugen das Wohnzimmer staub.
What case is das Wohnzimmer, and why is the article das?
Das Wohnzimmer is the direct object of the verb, so it’s in the accusative case. Wohnzimmer is a neuter noun, and its definite article in nominative and accusative is das.
Why is Wohnzimmer capitalized but staubsaugen is not?
In German, all nouns are capitalized—Wohnzimmer is a noun. Verbs (including compound verbs like staubsaugen) remain lowercase.
Could I say Wir staubsaugen am Samstag das Wohnzimmer instead? Does it change the meaning?
Yes. Both sentences are correct. Wir staubsaugen am Samstag das Wohnzimmer puts neutral emphasis on the subject first; Am Samstag staubsaugen wir das Wohnzimmer emphasizes the time element.
How do you say “every Saturday we vacuum the living room”?
Use one of these:
• Samstags staubsaugen wir das Wohnzimmer.
• Jeden Samstag staubsaugen wir das Wohnzimmer.
How would I ask “When do we vacuum the living room?”
Start with the question word wann and invert verb and subject:
Wann staubsaugen wir das Wohnzimmer?
What does staubsaugen literally mean?
It literally combines Staub (“dust”) and saugen (“to suck”), so “to suck up dust,” i.e. “to vacuum.”