Ich sehe die Änderung im Zeitplan.

I see the change in the schedule.

Breakdown of Ich sehe die Änderung im Zeitplan.

• in: in
• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• sehen: to see
• der Zeitplan: the schedule
• die Änderung: the change

Questions & Answers about Ich sehe die Änderung im Zeitplan.

Why is Änderung preceded by die in this sentence?

Every noun in German has a grammatical gender. Änderung is feminine, so its definite article in the nominative singular is die. We use die Änderung because we refer to a specific change that’s appearing in the schedule.

Could I use eine Änderung instead of die Änderung?

Yes, but the nuance changes. eine Änderung is indefinite and introduces any change in general. die Änderung is definite and points to one particular change that’s known or has been mentioned already.

Why is im used here instead of just in?

im is a contraction of in dem. When in expresses location (answering “where?”), German uses the dative case. Since der Zeitplan is masculine, in dem Zeitplan contracts to im Zeitplan.

What case is Zeitplan in, and why?

It’s in the dative case. With locational in, German requires dative. Hence in dem Zeitplan → im Zeitplan.

Could we use a different preposition, like auf dem Zeitplan, instead of im Zeitplan?

No—auf would imply “on top of” rather than “within.” To express that something appears inside or is part of the schedule, the idiomatic choice is in (dem) Zeitplan, i.e. im Zeitplan.

Does ich sehe here literally mean “I see” with my eyes?

Not necessarily. While sehen can mean physical seeing, in this context it often means “to notice” or “to observe.” If you want to emphasize “notice,” you might use bemerken:
• Ich bemerke die Änderung im Zeitplan.

How do I pronounce Änderung?

It’s pronounced [EHN-de-roong].
• Ä sounds like the e in the English word bed
• der ends with a soft r
• ung sounds like oong
Stress the first syllable: ÄN-de-rung.

Can I start the sentence with Im Zeitplan?

Yes. German allows fronting of adverbial or prepositional phrases. You’d say:
• Im Zeitplan sehe ich die Änderung.
The verb (sehe) remains in second position.

How would the sentence change if there were multiple changes?

Pluralize Änderung to Änderungen and adjust the article:
• Ich sehe die Änderungen im Zeitplan.

What’s the difference between Änderung and Änderungsvorschlag?

• Änderung = “change” (the modification itself)
• Änderungsvorschlag = “proposed change” or “amendment,” adding -vorschlag (“proposal”) to signal it’s a suggestion rather than a completed alteration.