Breakdown of Im Sommer steigt die Temperatur.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
der Sommer
the summer
die Temperatur
the temperature
steigen
to rise
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Questions & Answers about Im Sommer steigt die Temperatur.
Why is im used instead of just in or in dem?
“Im” is simply the contracted form of in + dem. German prepositions that take an article often fuse with it. Here, Sommer is masculine, and the time-expression use of in requires the dative case (dem Sommer), so you get im Sommer.
What case is Sommer in, and why?
Sommer is in the dative singular. When in expresses a point or period in time (“in summer”), it demands the dative case.
Why does Temperatur have the article die in front of it?
Temperatur is a feminine noun and serves as the subject of the sentence. Subjects in German appear in the nominative case, so you get die Temperatur.
Why is the verb steigt in the 3rd-person singular form?
Because the subject die Temperatur is singular, the verb must agree in person and number. The infinitive is steigen (“to rise”), and its 3rd-person singular present tense is steigt.
Why does the verb come second in Im Sommer steigt die Temperatur?
German main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite (conjugated) verb always occupies the second position. Even when you start with an adverbial phrase like Im Sommer, steigt stays in slot two; the subject follows it.
Can the present tense steigt talk about general or repeated events?
Yes. In German, as in English, the present tense can express habitual actions or general truths. Here it means “the temperature rises in summer” every year or as a rule.
What’s the difference between steigen and erhöhen?
steigen is intransitive: the subject itself goes up (die Temperatur steigt). erhöhen is transitive: someone or something raises something else (e.g. die Sonne erhöht die Temperatur – “the sun raises the temperature”).
Why are Sommer and Temperatur capitalized?
In German, all nouns—whether proper or common—are capitalized. That’s why you’ll always see Sommer, Temperatur, Haus, Auto, etc., with an initial capital letter.
How do I turn this statement into a question?
Swap the verb and the subject to form a yes/no question. You get:
Steigt die Temperatur im Sommer?