Breakdown of Im Garten höre ich dir zu.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
ich
I
der Garten
the garden
dir
you
zuhören
to listen to
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Questions & Answers about Im Garten höre ich dir zu.
What is im short for, and why isn’t it written as in dem?
im is simply the contracted form of in dem. In German, certain prepositions plus the definite article dem merge into one word for ease of pronunciation and writing.
Why is Garten in the dative case here?
When in expresses a static location (answering the question “Wo?”), it requires the dative case. Hence Garten takes the dative form, introduced by im.
Why does the verb split into höre and zu?
Zuhören is a separable‐prefix verb. In main clauses, the prefix zu- detaches and moves to the end of the clause, leaving höre in the second position.
Why is the pronoun dir in the dative case instead of dich?
The verb zuhören always takes a dative object (“to listen to someone”). Therefore you must use the dative pronoun dir, not the accusative dich.
How does the word order work with Im Garten at the beginning?
German follows the “V2” (verb‐second) rule in main clauses. Placing the adverbial phrase Im Garten first occupies position 1, so the finite verb höre must come in position 2, followed by the subject ich.
Could I also say Ich höre dir im Garten zu? Would that sound natural?
Yes. With Ich in position 1, höre stays in position 2, and dir im Garten zu follows. The meaning remains the same; you’ve just shifted the emphasis slightly onto Ich as the topic.
What’s the difference between hören and zuhören?
hören means “to hear” (simply perceiving sound, often unintentionally) and takes an accusative object if you explicitly state what you hear. zuhören means “to listen” (actively paying attention) and always takes a dative object.