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Questions & Answers about Übermorgen werden Techniker den Strom im Haus kurz ausschalten.
What part of speech is Übermorgen and why is it capitalized?
Übermorgen is a temporal adverb meaning “the day after tomorrow.” It’s capitalized here simply because it’s the first word of the sentence. In German, adverbs are only capitalized at the beginning of a sentence (unless they’re proper nouns).
Why does this sentence use werden + infinitive to express future tense, and why is it werden here instead of wird?
German forms the future tense with a conjugated form of werden (to become) plus the main verb in its infinitive at the end of the clause. Because Techniker is plural, you use the third-person plural form werden, not the singular wird.
Why is the finite verb werden in second position, while the infinitive ausschalten appears at the end?
German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule: the finite verb must occupy the second position. Any remaining infinitives or separable prefixes go to the end of the clause. Here:
- Übermorgen (1st position)
- werden (finite verb, 2nd position)
…
last: ausschalten (infinitive of the separable verb).
What is the function of aus in ausschalten, and why is it separated?
ausschalten is a separable-prefix verb: the prefix aus + root schalten (to switch). In the infinitive it stays attached (ausschalten), but in a finite clause the prefix detaches and usually goes to the end. In a future construction, the full infinitive remains together at the end.
Why is den Strom in the accusative case, and how do you know its gender?
Strom (electricity/current) is a masculine noun (der Strom). It’s the direct object of ausschalten, so it takes the accusative: den Strom.
How does the contraction im arise in im Haus, and which case does it require?
im is a contraction of in dem. After in, when indicating location (answering “wo?”), German uses the dative case. Thus in dem Haus → im Haus.
What does kurz modify here, and does it mean “quickly” or “briefly”?
kurz is an adverb indicating duration, so it means “for a short time” or “briefly.” It does not mean “quickly” (that would be schnell). Here it tells you how long the power will be off.
Could you use the present tense instead of werden + infinitive to talk about this future action?
Yes. In German, the present tense often expresses near-future events. You could say:
Übermorgen schalten Techniker den Strom im Haus kurz aus.
Context tells the listener it’s happening two days from now.
Why is den Strom placed before im Haus, and why does kurz appear right before the infinitive?
German tends to order elements roughly as Subject – Direct Object – Indirect Object/Location – Adverbials – Verb. Here:
• Techniker (subject)
• den Strom (direct object)
• im Haus (location)
• kurz (duration adverbial)
• ausschalten (infinitive verb)
Putting the direct object before the locative phrase and the adverb helps maintain a clear, natural flow.
What’s the difference between ausschalten and abschalten? Are they interchangeable?
Both verbs mean “to switch off.” In many contexts, they are interchangeable when talking about devices or power. However:
• ausschalten is more neutral for turning off machines, lights, etc.
• abschalten can also mean “to switch off mentally” (to relax or tune out).
So choose based on context and nuance.
