Learn Hardcore German: Entweder kommst du mit ins Bürgeramt, oder ich stelle den Antrag allein. - Either you come with me to the citizens’ office, or I’ll submit the application alone.

German main clauses are verb-second (V2). Because Entweder occupies the first position, the finite verb kommst must be in second position and the subject du follows: Entweder | kommst | du | mit …. It’s not a question.

It still looks like a question. How can I tell it isn’t one?

Yes/no questions put the finite verb in first position: Kommst du mit ins Bürgeramt? Here, the verb is second because Entweder is first. The following oder-clause also signals it’s a statement offering alternatives, not a question.

Is the comma before oder required?

With coordinating conjunctions like und/oder that link two main clauses, the comma is optional. With entweder … oder …, both versions are correct:

With comma: Entweder …, oder … (clearer)
Without comma: Entweder … oder … (also correct)

Why is mit not at the very end? Shouldn’t separable prefixes go last?

With verbs like mitkommen/mitgehen, it’s idiomatic to place mit directly before a directional phrase: mit ins Bürgeramt, mit nach Berlin, mit zur Bank. You may hear … ins Bürgeramt mit, but mit ins … is more standard and natural in most varieties of German.

Is mit here the preposition “with,” or part of the verb?

It’s the separable particle of the verb mitkommen (“to come along”). The prepositional phrase is ins Bürgeramt (short for in das Bürgeramt). So the structure is “come-along into the citizens’ office,” not “with into …”.

Why ins and not im?

Use in + accusative for motion toward a place and in + dative for location. Ins Bürgeramt = “into the office” (movement). Im Bürgeramt = “in the office” (location).

Could I say zum Bürgeramt instead of ins Bürgeramt?

Yes. Zum Bürgeramt (“to the office”) focuses on going up to/arriving at it; ins Bürgeramt (“into the office”) highlights entering the building. Both are fine here.

What exactly is a Bürgeramt?

It’s the municipal citizens’ office handling things like registration, ID cards, certificates, etc. Regional names vary (e.g., Bürgerbüro, Einwohnermeldeamt). In English, “citizens’ office” or “city registration office” captures the idea.

Why den Antrag stellen and not einen Antrag machen?

Einen Antrag stellen is the standard collocation for “to submit/file an application.” Machen sounds non‑idiomatic here. You can also use the verb beantragen: Ich beantrage den Ausweis.

Why is it den Antrag (accusative)?

Stellen takes a direct object, so Antrag is in the accusative. Der Antrag (nominative) becomes den Antrag (accusative), because it’s masculine.

What’s the difference between allein, alleine, and selbst/selber?

allein/alleine: generally interchangeable, meaning “alone/without help” (slight preference for allein in formal style).
selbst/selber: “myself/yourself,” emphasizing who performs the action, not necessarily without help. Here, allein means “I’ll do it without you.”

Is Entweder du kommst mit … also correct, or must it be Entweder kommst du …?

Both are correct. Entweder can precede the subject (Entweder du kommst …) or take the first slot and trigger inversion (Entweder kommst du …). The given version is a bit more common in writing.

Does entweder … oder … mean an exclusive choice?

Yes, it normally presents mutually exclusive alternatives (“either A or B, but not both”). In casual speech people may use it loosely, but its default meaning is exclusive.

Why use mitkommen and not mitgehen or just gehen?

mitkommen = “to come along” (default when inviting someone to accompany you anywhere).
mitgehen = “to go along (on foot),” slightly more about the mode of moving. Both work here; mitkommen sounds most neutral.

How would this look in a polite/formal address?

Entweder kommen Sie mit ins Bürgeramt, oder ich stelle den Antrag allein.

Do I need a future tense (werde … stellen) here?

No. German commonly uses the present for future plans when context makes the time clear. Ich stelle den Antrag allein already implies a future action in this context.