Learn Hardcore German: Später im Sommer reise ich an die Küste, weil dort ein alter Leuchtturm steht. - Later in summer I travel to the coast because there is an old lighthouse there.

Später is an adverb meaning “later.” In German, adverbs are usually lowercase, but the first word of any sentence is always capitalized, regardless of its part of speech. That’s why you see Später with a capital S here.

What does im Sommer mean, and why is it written as im instead of in dem?

Im Sommer literally means “in the summer.” German often contracts in dem into im when in is followed by the masculine or neuter article dem (dative case). So:

• in dem Sommer → im Sommer
• It indicates a time frame (when).

Why does the verb reise come before ich in Später im Sommer reise ich an die Küste?

German is a V2‐language in main clauses, meaning the conjugated verb must be in second position. When you start with an adverbial phrase like Später im Sommer (first position), the verb reise moves to position two, and the subject ich follows in third position:

Später im Sommer
reise
ich
an die Küste

This inversion is normal whenever you begin a main clause with something other than the subject.

Why is it an die Küste and not an der Küste?

The preposition an can govern either dative (location: “at the coast”) or accusative (direction: “to the coast”). Here you have motion toward the coast, so you use the accusative case:

• Direction (movement): an + die Küste (accusative) → “to the coast”
• Location (no movement): an + der Küste (dative) → “at the coast”

Why is there a comma before weil, and why does steht come at the end?

Weil is a subordinating conjunction (“because”). In German:

You must place a comma before weil.
The finite verb of the subordinate clause moves to the very end.

So …, weil dort ein alter Leuchtturm steht.

What is the role of dort in …, weil dort ein alter Leuchtturm steht?

Dort is a locative adverb meaning “there.” It points to the place you’re talking about (the coast). You could also say da, but dort often feels a bit more formal or explicit. It simply tells you where the lighthouse stands.

How do I know to say ein alter Leuchtturm and what about the adjective ending?

Leuchtturm is a masculine noun (der Leuchtturm). Here it is the subject (nominative) of the subordinate clause, and you’re using the indefinite article ein. After ein in the nominative masculine, adjectives take the -er ending (mixed declension):

• Nominative Masc. → ein alter Leuchtturm
• If it were feminine (e.g. Lampe), you’d say eine alte Lampe.

Could I use da or denn instead of weil, and what changes?

Yes:

• da (subordinating) → also sends the verb to the end, but is slightly more colloquial or regional in causal clauses.
• denn (coordinating) → does not send the verb to the end, and you do not use a comma before it.

Example with denn:
Später im Sommer reise ich an die Küste, denn dort steht ein alter Leuchtturm.

Why is reisen used instead of fahren in reise ich an die Küste?

Both verbs can work, but they have different nuances:

• reisen (to travel) emphasizes the act of journeying, often over longer distances or as part of a trip.
• fahren (to go/drive/ride) is more general for going somewhere by vehicle.

English speakers often pick reisen when talking about going on a trip, which is why it’s natural here.

Can I change the word order to put Im Sommer first and Später later? What happens to the emphasis?

Yes, you can say:

Im Sommer reise ich später an die Küste, …

This shifts emphasis slightly:

• Später im Sommer … → You’re highlighting “later,” then specifying “in the summer.”
• Im Sommer reise ich später … → You first set the time frame “in the summer,” then specify “later” within that period.

Both are correct; the difference is only one of focus or style.