Breakdown of Die Briefmarke zeigt einen bunten Zirkus.
zeigen
to show
die Briefmarke
the stamp
bunt
colourful
der Zirkus
the circus
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Questions & Answers about Die Briefmarke zeigt einen bunten Zirkus.
Why is Briefmarke capitalized in German?
In German, all nouns are capitalized. This rule applies to every noun—common and proper alike—so Briefmarke, Zirkus or Haus always starts with an uppercase letter, regardless of its position in the sentence.
Why is the definite article die used before Briefmarke?
Briefmarke is a feminine noun. Since it’s the subject of the sentence, it’s in the nominative case. The feminine singular nominative definite article in German is die, hence die Briefmarke.
What case is einen bunten Zirkus, and how do we know it’s that case?
It’s in the accusative case because it functions as the direct object of the verb zeigen (“to show”). In German, the direct object is marked by the accusative. Here Zirkus is masculine, so the accusative indefinite article is einen.
Why does bunten end with -en instead of -er or -es?
This follows German adjective declension rules. After an indefinite article in the accusative masculine singular (here einen), adjectives take the -en ending. So bunt becomes bunten in einen bunten Zirkus.
Can we use the definite article den instead of einen?
Yes, but the meaning shifts from indefinite (“a colorful circus”) to definite (“the colorful circus,” referring to a specific, known circus). You’d say den bunten Zirkus, if you mean a particular one.
How would you express this sentence in the past tense?
You have two main options:
- Präteritum (simple past): Die Briefmarke zeigte einen bunten Zirkus.
- Perfekt (present perfect): Die Briefmarke hat einen bunten Zirkus gezeigt.
Could I use darstellen or abbilden instead of zeigen? What changes?
Yes.
- With darstellen (a separable verb), you say: Die Briefmarke stellt einen bunten Zirkus dar. Notice dar moves to the end.
- With abbilden, you often use a passive or a form of “is”: Auf der Briefmarke ist ein bunter Zirkus abgebildet. These alternatives emphasize that the stamp “depicts” or “portrays” the circus.
Could we rearrange the word order, for example “Einen bunten Zirkus zeigt die Briefmarke”? What changes?
Yes. German main clauses allow one constituent in front of the verb (V2 rule). Fronting Einen bunten Zirkus shifts the emphasis onto the object (“It’s a colorful circus that the stamp shows”), while zeigt remains in second position and die Briefmarke follows it.
What is the plural of Briefmarke, and how would the sentence change?
The plural is Briefmarken. To say “The stamps show a colorful circus,” you’d write: Die Briefmarken zeigen einen bunten Zirkus. Note that the verb zeigen changes to agree with the plural subject.