Breakdown of Vierzig Teilnehmer sitzen schon im Saal und warten auf den Lehrer.
und
and
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
schon
already
sitzen
to sit
warten auf
to wait for
der Lehrer
the teacher
der Saal
the hall
vierzig
forty
der Teilnehmer
the participant
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Questions & Answers about Vierzig Teilnehmer sitzen schon im Saal und warten auf den Lehrer.
Why is Vierzig Teilnehmer used without an article?
When a numeral like vierzig functions as a determiner in German, it replaces the need for an article. You simply say Vierzig Teilnehmer (forty participants) rather than die vierzig Teilnehmer. The number directly quantifies the noun.
Why doesn’t Teilnehmer take an extra ending in the plural?
Teilnehmer is a strong masculine noun whose plural form is identical to its singular form. The context (here the number vierzig) makes it clear it’s plural, so no additional ending (-n, ‑e, etc.) is added.
What does im Saal mean and why isn’t it in den Saal or ins Saal?
im is a contraction of in dem, which is dative because it expresses a static location (“in the hall”). If you wanted to express movement “into the hall,” you’d use the accusative in den Saal. There’s no ins Saal because ins contracts in das, and Saal is masculine (der Saal), so you need in den Saal for movement.
Why is schon placed right after sitzen instead of at the end?
German follows the verb-second rule: the finite verb (sitzen) must be the second element, and adverbs of time like schon typically come immediately after that. The general order here is: [Subject] – [Verb] – [Time adverb] – [Place].
Why are both sitzen and warten in the simple present tense, when English would use “are sitting” and “are waiting”?
German uses the simple present (Präsens) to express both habitual actions and ongoing (continuous) actions. So sitzen and warten in Präsens cover the English present continuous “are sitting” and “are waiting.”
Why is it warten auf den Lehrer and not just warten den Lehrer?
The verb warten requires the preposition auf when you wait for someone or something. auf always takes the accusative case, so you need den Lehrer (accusative masculine).
Why are Teilnehmer, Saal, and Lehrer capitalized?
In German orthography, all nouns are capitalized regardless of their position in a sentence. This is a core difference from English.
Can you write 40 Teilnehmer instead of Vierzig Teilnehmer?
Yes. In German you can use Arabic numerals (40) or write numbers out in words. In formal texts style guides often suggest spelling out numbers up to twelve (or sometimes up to a hundred), but 40 Teilnehmer is perfectly correct and common, especially in lists or technical contexts.
Why isn’t there a comma before und in this sentence?
German does not use a comma before und when it simply links two verbs (or similar elements) in the same clause. A comma before und appears only when it connects two independent clauses with their own subjects or to avoid ambiguity.