Breakdown of Der Hund trinkt Wasser vom Fluss.
der Hund
the dog
trinken
to drink
das Wasser
the water
der Fluss
the river
vom
from the; (masculine, dative)
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Questions & Answers about Der Hund trinkt Wasser vom Fluss.
Why is Wasser capitalized even though it’s not at the beginning of the sentence?
In German, all nouns are capitalized regardless of their position in a sentence. That’s why Wasser (water) appears with a capital letter.
Why is there no article before Wasser?
Because Wasser here is an uncountable (mass) noun and the speaker means “some water” in a general sense. In German you can omit the article to express an indefinite quantity of a mass noun.
What case is Wasser in, and how can I tell?
Wasser is in the accusative case because it’s the direct object of the verb trinkt. In German, the direct object of a transitive verb normally takes the accusative.
What exactly is vom, and why is it used instead of von dem?
Vom is a contraction of von dem. The preposition von (“from,” “of”) always takes the dative case, so dem Fluss (dative masculine) becomes vom Fluss.
Could I use aus dem Fluss instead of vom Fluss, and would the meaning change?
Yes, you could say aus dem Fluss. Both use the dative and mean “from the river,” but vom Fluss is more idiomatic for indicating a general origin, while aus dem Fluss can emphasize the action of coming out of or emerging from the water.
Why does trinkt come immediately after Der Hund?
German main clauses obey the verb-second (V2) rule: the conjugated verb must occupy the second position in the sentence, no matter which element is first.
What gender and case is Hund, and how do I recognize it?
Hund is a masculine noun. As the subject of the verb trinkt, it appears in the nominative case. That’s why it’s der Hund.
Could the sentence be Der Hund trinkt das Wasser vom Fluss? What’s the difference?
Yes. Adding das (the definite article in the accusative) specifies the water (e.g. a specific portion you’ve already mentioned). Without das, the sentence means the dog drinks water in general from the river.