Word
Unsere Sprache verändert sich ständig.
Meaning
Our language changes constantly.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Unsere Sprache verändert sich ständig.
unsere
our; (feminine or plural)
ständig
constantly
die Sprache
the language
sich verändern
to change
Questions & Answers about Unsere Sprache verändert sich ständig.
Why is unsere used here instead of unser?
In German, possessive pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Sprache is feminine singular and is the subject (nominative case) here, so the correct form is unsere (where unser is the base form used for masculine or neuter nominative).
Why is Sprache capitalized?
All German nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in the sentence.
What form is verändert in this sentence?
This is the 3rd-person singular present tense form of the verb verändern. In a German main clause, the finite verb typically occupies the second position (V2 word order).
Why is sich used with verändert? Is verändern a reflexive verb here?
Yes. sich verändern is an intransitive reflexive verb meaning “to change” or “to undergo change.” The reflexive pronoun sich refers back to the subject (unsere Sprache) and is required to convey this intransitive meaning.
Can we drop sich and say Unsere Sprache verändert ständig?