Die Temperatur sinkt in der Nacht.

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Breakdown of Die Temperatur sinkt in der Nacht.

• die Nacht: the night
• die Temperatur: the temperature
• sinken: to drop

Questions & Answers about Die Temperatur sinkt in der Nacht.

What does sinkt mean, and what is its infinitive?

sinkt is the 3rd-person singular present form of the verb sinken, which means “to sink,” “to drop,” or “to decrease.” So Die Temperatur sinkt translates as “The temperature drops” or “The temperature is dropping.”

Why is the finite verb (sinkt) in the second position?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must occupy the second slot. Whether you start with the subject, a time expression, or another element, the conjugated verb stays in position two.

What role does die Temperatur play, and why is there no object after sinkt?

die Temperatur is the subject of the sentence, so it’s in the nominative case. The verb sinken is intransitive, meaning it doesn’t take a direct object— it simply describes the subject’s change of state.

Why is Nacht in the dative case after in, and why do we use in here?

When in expresses time (when something happens) rather than movement, it governs the dative case. Thus in + der (dative feminine) → in der Nacht, meaning “during the night” or “at night.”

Why is the article der used with Nacht instead of dem?