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Questions & Answers about Die Regel gilt ab morgen.
What does the verb gilt express here?
It’s the 3rd person singular of gelten and means “applies,” “is valid,” or “is in effect.” So the sentence says the rule becomes applicable as of tomorrow.
Why is the present tense used to talk about the future?
German commonly uses the present tense with a time expression to refer to the future. Die Regel gilt ab morgen is more natural than the future tense Die Regel wird ab morgen gelten, which is possible but usually unnecessary.
What is the infinitive of gilt, and how is it conjugated?
Infinitive: gelten (irregular vowel change e → i). Key forms:
- ich gelte
- du giltst
- er/sie/es gilt
- wir gelten
- ihr geltet
- sie gelten
What case is die Regel, and why die?
It’s nominative singular, the subject of the sentence. Regel is feminine (die Regel), so die is the correct nominative article.
What does the preposition ab mean?
Here it means “starting (from), as of.” With time expressions it marks the starting point onward: ab morgen, ab Montag, ab dem 1. Mai, ab sofort.
Which case does ab take?
With a noun phrase, ab governs the dative: ab dem 1. Mai, ab nächster Woche. With bare adverbs like morgen, there’s no article and no visible case marking: ab morgen.
Is ab morgen the same as “since tomorrow”?
No. ab marks the start from a point onward (typically future-oriented). “Since” is seit: seit gestern (“since yesterday”). Don’t use ab when you mean “since” in the present-tense sense of ongoing duration.
Can I say von morgen an instead of ab morgen?
Yes. Von morgen an means the same. Do not mix them as ab morgen an (that’s wrong), and don’t say von morgen alone (you need the an).
Should morgen be capitalized?
In mid-sentence, no: ab morgen. At the beginning of a sentence, it will be Morgen, which is ambiguous in writing between the adverb “tomorrow” and the noun der Morgen (“morning”); context clarifies. Don’t write ab Morgen in the middle of a sentence.
Is ab dem Morgen a correct way to say “from tomorrow”?
No. Ab dem Morgen would mean “from the morning (time of day),” not “from tomorrow.” Use ab morgen for “starting tomorrow.”
Can I change the word order?
Yes, but keep the finite verb in second position:
- Die Regel gilt ab morgen.
- Ab morgen gilt die Regel.
- Morgen gilt die Regel. All are correct and natural.
How would it look in the plural?
Die Regeln gelten ab morgen. Notice the plural noun Regeln and the verb gelten (3rd person plural).
Does gelten need für to say who it applies to?
To specify the addressees, add für + accusative: Die Regel gilt ab morgen für alle (“…applies to everyone”). Für always takes the accusative.
Is there a more formal way to say a rule comes into force?
Yes: Die Regel tritt morgen in Kraft. That’s common in legal/official language. It’s equivalent in meaning to Die Regel gilt ab morgen, with a slightly more formal tone.
Is “will apply” wrong in German?
No. Die Regel wird ab morgen gelten is grammatically correct, but the simple present with a time expression is preferred in everyday German unless you need special emphasis or clarity.
Pronunciation tips?
- Die: dee
- Regel: RAY-g’l (the second e is very short; the final -el is often reduced)
- gilt: gilt (short i, clear final t)
- ab: ahp (final b devoiced to a p sound)
- morgen: MOR-gen (open o as in “mop,” German r)