Word
Der Computer speichert automatisch die Dokumente.
Meaning
The computer automatically saves the documents.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Der Computer speichert automatisch die Dokumente.
das Dokument
the document
der Computer
the computer
speichern
to save
automatisch
automatically
Questions & Answers about Der Computer speichert automatisch die Dokumente.
Why does the finite verb speichert appear directly after the subject Der Computer?
In German main clauses the conjugated (finite) verb must occupy the second position. Here, Der Computer is the first element (position 1), so the verb speichert comes immediately after in position 2, yielding the typical Subject-Verb-Object order.
Why is automatisch placed between the verb and the object? Can it go somewhere else?
Adverbs of manner like automatisch are quite flexible. Placing it after the verb is common, but you can also say:
- Der Computer speichert die Dokumente automatisch.
- Automatisch speichert der Computer die Dokumente.
The different positions change the emphasis slightly (e.g. front-position for focus on “automatically”).
Why is the article die used with Dokumente, and how do we know it’s accusative plural?
Dokumente is a plural noun. In German, plural definite articles are die in both nominative and accusative. Since Dokumente is the direct object of speichern, it’s in the accusative case—but the form stays die for plural.
Why is Computer masculine (using der)? Are genders predictable?