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Questions & Answers about Ich gieße die Zimmerpflanze täglich, damit ihre Blätter frisch bleiben.
Why is it gieße and not gießt?
German verbs change their ending depending on the subject. gieße is the 1st person singular form (ich gieße – I water), while gießt is the 2nd person singular (du gießt – you water) or 3rd person singular (er/sie/es gießt – he/she/it waters).
What case and gender is die Zimmerpflanze, and why is it used here?
Zimmerpflanze is feminine (die Pflanze). In this sentence it’s the direct object of gieße, so it takes the accusative. The feminine accusative is still die (nominative die → accusative die).
Why is täglich placed after the object and not at the beginning?
German adverbs of frequency normally follow the direct object (Time–Manner–Place rule). In this case you have: Subject (Ich) – Verb (gieße) – Object (die Zimmerpflanze) – Adverb (täglich). You could also say Ich gieße täglich die Zimmerpflanze, but putting täglich at the end is equally natural.
What does damit mean here, and why not use weil or dass?
damit introduces a purpose clause (in order that, so that).
- weil = because (gives a reason, not a goal)
- dass = that (introduces a statement, not a purpose)
We use damit because we want to express the goal: I water so that the leaves stay fresh.
Why is the verb bleiben at the end of the subordinate clause?
In German subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like damit, the conjugated verb moves to the end. So you get: damit + subject (ihre Blätter) + other elements (frisch) + verb (bleiben).
Why is it ihre Blätter and not seine or ihr?
The possessive pronoun must agree with the gender and number of the noun possessed. Zimmerpflanze is feminine, so its leaves belong to “her” (3rd person feminine). Plural leaves take the ending -e, giving ihre Blätter (their/her leaves).
What does frisch bleiben mean, grammatically?
It’s a combination of the verb bleiben (to remain, to stay) + adjective frisch (fresh). Together they express “to stay fresh.” It’s like saying “to remain [in a fresh state].”
Is the comma before damit mandatory?
Yes. In German, you must separate a main clause and a subordinate clause with a comma. Here the comma comes before damit, marking the start of the purpose clause.