Breakdown of Mein Portemonnaie liegt auf der Couch, doch die Quittung steckt noch im Rock.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
noch
still
auf
on
mein
my
liegen
to lie
doch
but
das Portemonnaie
the wallet
die Couch
the couch
die Quittung
the receipt
stecken
to stick
der Rock
the skirt
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Questions & Answers about Mein Portemonnaie liegt auf der Couch, doch die Quittung steckt noch im Rock.
Why is there no definite article before Portemonnaie (e.g. mein das Portemonnaie is wrong)?
In German, a possessive determiner like mein replaces the article. Since Portemonnaie is neuter, mein in the nominative neuter form already carries the meaning of “my the wallet,” so adding das would be redundant.
Why do we say auf der Couch and not auf die Couch?
The preposition auf can take either dative (for location: “where?”) or accusative (for direction: “where to?”). Here we describe where the wallet lies, so it’s a location—use dative. Couch is feminine, dative der Couch.
Why is there a comma before doch?
When you join two independent main clauses in German—regardless of conjunction—you generally set them off with a comma. Doch here is a coordinating conjunction (“but/still”), so a comma is used before it.
What’s the difference between using doch and aber here?
Both can mean “but,” but doch often adds a nuance of “yet/still” or emphasizes a slight contradiction. In this sentence, doch signals that although the wallet is on the couch, the receipt is still somewhere else. Aber would work, too, but sounds more neutral.
Why do we use liegt for the wallet but steckt for the receipt? Couldn’t both be liegen?
German has different verbs for how something is located. liegen (“to lie”) is used for objects resting freely on a surface. stecken (“to be stuck/inserted”) describes something placed into or stuck inside another object—here, the receipt is inside (or “stuck in”) the skirt.
Why is it im Rock instead of in dem Rock?
im is simply the contraction of in dem. Since Rock (skirt/coat) is masculine and you’re describing location, you take the dative dem and contract in dem → im.
What does noch add in steckt noch im Rock?
noch means “still” in this context. It indicates that the receipt hasn’t been removed yet—it remains in the skirt.
Why are liegt and steckt placed where they are in each clause?
German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (liegt/steckt) must occupy the second position. Whatever you put first (subject, adverb, etc.) is counted as position one.
What does Rock translate to in English here? It looks like the English “rock.”
Despite its spelling, German Rock can mean either “skirt” or “coat,” not the music genre. In context—finding a receipt—you’d translate it as “skirt” (or sometimes “coat,” if you know it’s a coat).