Breakdown of In diesem Semester lernte ich, wie man ein Netzwerk für erneuerbare Energie plant.
in
in
ich
I
planen
to plan
für
for
man
one
lernen
to learn
wie
how
die Energie
the energy
diesem
this; (masculine or neuter, dative)
das Semester
the semester
das Netzwerk
the network
erneuerbar
renewable
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Questions & Answers about In diesem Semester lernte ich, wie man ein Netzwerk für erneuerbare Energie plant.
Why is diesem used instead of dieses in In diesem Semester?
The preposition in here indicates time and requires the dative case. Semester is neuter (das Semester), so the dative form of the demonstrative dies- is diesem (dem Semester → in diesem Semester).
Why is lernte ich in simple past (Präteritum) instead of perfect tense like habe gelernt?
In written or formal German (especially academic contexts), the Präteritum is commonly used for events in the past. In spoken German you’d often hear habe ich gelernt, but in reports or essays lernte ich is perfectly natural.
Why is there a comma before wie man ein Netzwerk ...?
German always sets off subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions (here wie) with a comma. The clause wie man ein Netzwerk für erneuerbare Energie plant is subordinate, so it’s separated by a comma from the main clause.
Why is the verb plant at the end of the clause wie man ein Netzwerk ... plant?
In German subordinate clauses, the finite verb moves to the very end. Since wie man ... introduces a subordinate clause, plant goes to the end of that clause.
What does man mean in this sentence?
man is an impersonal pronoun equivalent to English “one” or a general “you.” Here it means “how one plans” or “how you plan” a network.
Could I say lernen, ein Netzwerk zu planen instead of lernen, wie man ein Netzwerk plant?
Yes. Both are correct but slightly different in nuance:
- lernen, ein Netzwerk zu planen uses zu + Infinitiv to mean “learn to plan a network” (focus on acquiring the skill).
- lernen, wie man ein Netzwerk plant literally “learn how one plans a network” (focus on the method or steps).
What case is ein Netzwerk in, and why doesn’t the article change form?
ein Netzwerk is the direct object of planen, so it’s in the accusative case. Netzwerk is neuter, and the indefinite article for neuter is ein in both nominative and accusative, so it looks the same.
Why is it für erneuerbare Energie and not mit erneuerbarer Energie or über erneuerbare Energie?
- für takes the accusative and expresses purpose or suitability (“for renewable energy”).
- mit would mean “with” (using renewable energy), which shifts the meaning.
- über would mean “about” or “concerning” renewable energy, also a different relation.
Why is there no article before erneuerbare Energie, and how do the adjective endings work?
Here erneuerbare Energie is used in a general sense, so the article is omitted (zero article). Without an article, German uses strong adjective declension. Energie is feminine, singular, accusative, so the strong ending is -e, giving erneuerbare Energie.