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Questions & Answers about Ich tippe das Passwort ein.
What does eintippen mean and how is it related to tippen?
eintippen is a separable verb composed of the prefix ein and the base verb tippen. tippen means ‘to type’ on a keyboard, and with ein it becomes ‘to type in’ or ‘to enter.’
Why is ein separated from tippe and placed at the end?
In German main clauses, separable verbs split: the prefix goes to the end while the conjugated verb stays in second position. That’s why tippe appears early and ein ends the sentence.
Why is there a double pp in tippen?
One-syllable verbs ending in a single consonant after a single vowel double that consonant to signal a short vowel sound. Thus tippen uses pp to keep the i short.
Why does Passwort take das as its article?
Passwort is a neuter noun in German, so its definite article is das in both nominative and accusative.
Why is Passwort in the accusative case?
It’s the direct object of the separable verb eintippen, and German marks direct objects with the accusative case.
Could I use eingeben instead of eintippen?
Yes. eingeben (another separable verb) means ‘to input’ or ‘to enter.’ You could say Ich gebe das Passwort ein with virtually the same meaning; tippen just emphasizes the physical typing action.
How would I express this sentence in the perfect tense?
Combine the auxiliary haben with the past participle eingetippt:
Ich habe das Passwort eingetippt.
In the participle form the prefix ein rejoins the verb.
Can I omit the article and say Ich tippe Passwort ein?
No. In German you normally need an article for a specific noun like das Passwort. Omitting it sounds unnatural unless you replace it with a possessive (e.g., mein Passwort) or a demonstrative (e.g., dieses Passwort).