Viele Einwohner spielen gern im Park.

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Breakdown of Viele Einwohner spielen gern im Park.

• in: in
• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• der Park: the park

Questions & Answers about Viele Einwohner spielen gern im Park.

Why is there no article before Viele Einwohner?

Viele is a quantifier that directly modifies a plural noun and takes the place of an article. In German, when you use words like viel, einige, mehrere, or mehr, you do not add another article (e.g. die or ein). So Viele Einwohner means “many inhabitants” without an extra die.

What is the plural form of Einwohner, and why doesn’t it look different from the singular?

The singular is der Einwohner and the plural is die Einwohner. This noun forms its plural without an additional ending—only the article changes from der (sing.) to die (pl.). Many German nouns in the masculine and neuter category simply add -n or nothing at all.

Why is the verb spielen used here instead of spielt?

Because the subject Viele Einwohner is plural, we use the 3rd person plural form of spielen, which is spielen (stem spiel + -en). If it were singular—say, Einwohner spielt—you’d use spielt (stem + -t).

What role does gern play in this sentence, and why does it come right after the verb?