Breakdown of Auf diesem Niveau wiederholen wir Grammatik und sprechen sowieso viel.
und
and
wir
we
viel
much
auf
on
wiederholen
to review
dieser
this
sprechen
to talk
sowieso
anyway
das Niveau
the level
die Grammatik
the grammar
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Questions & Answers about Auf diesem Niveau wiederholen wir Grammatik und sprechen sowieso viel.
Why is it auf diesem Niveau and not an diesem Niveau or in diesem Niveau?
With the noun Niveau (level), German idiomatically uses auf to mean “at (a certain) level.”
- Static location/state: auf diesem Niveau (dative) = at this level.
- Movement to a level: auf dieses Niveau (accusative) = to this level. Using an or in with Niveau sounds unidiomatic in standard German.
What case is diesem Niveau, and why?
Dative. Auf is a two-way preposition: it takes dative for location (where?) and accusative for direction (where to?). Here it describes a state (“at this level”), so it’s dative. Niveau is neuter; hence diesem (dative singular neuter).
What is the word order logic with Auf diesem Niveau wiederholen wir …? Why is the verb second?
German main clauses are verb-second (V2). The first “slot” is taken by the fronted prepositional phrase Auf diesem Niveau; the finite verb wiederholen must then come second; the subject wir follows:
- [1] Auf diesem Niveau | [2] wiederholen | [3] wir | …
Why can the sentence continue with … und sprechen sowieso viel without repeating wir or moving the verb?
It’s a single main clause with a coordinated predicate: wiederholen … und sprechen …. The subject wir is shared and understood for both verbs. The V2 rule is satisfied once at the start of the clause; the coordinated second verb (sprechen) does not trigger a new V2 position. You could add the subject again (… und wir sprechen …) for clarity or emphasis, but it isn’t required.
Should there be a comma before und here?
No. There’s only one main clause with a compound predicate, so no comma is used. A comma would be appropriate if you explicitly coordinated two full main clauses: Wir wiederholen Grammatik, und wir sprechen sowieso viel. Even there, the comma is optional with und in modern punctuation.
Why is there no article before Grammatik?
Abstract subject areas often omit the article when talked about in general: Grammatik = grammar as a subject. If you say die Grammatik, you usually mean specific grammar (e.g., “the grammar we covered in Unit 3”).
What case is Grammatik in?
Accusative as the direct object of wiederholen. You don’t see a case ending because it’s a singular feminine noun without an article here.
Does wiederholen ever split like a separable prefix verb?
Not in the meaning “to repeat/review.” Here wiederholen is inseparable (stress on -holen), so you say wir wiederholen, not wir holen … wieder. There is a different, separable verb wieder holen (“to fetch again”), but that’s another meaning and usage.
Could I say repetieren instead of wiederholen?
In some regions (especially Switzerland and parts of Austria), repetieren is common for “review.” In standard German in Germany, wiederholen is the default and most widely understood.
What exactly does sowieso add, and are there alternatives?
sowieso means “anyway/anyhow/in any case,” implying that the second statement holds regardless of other factors. Close alternatives:
- ohnehin (more formal)
- Austrian colloquial eh It’s not the same as auch (“also”).
Is the placement sprechen sowieso viel fixed? Can I say sprechen viel sowieso?
The natural placement is wir sprechen sowieso viel. Putting sowieso at the very end (… viel sowieso) is possible only for special emphasis and sounds marked; viel sowieso in the middle is generally odd.
Why viel and not viele or sehr?
- viel modifies verbs meaning “a lot/much”: wir sprechen viel.
- viele is for countable nouns: viele Themen (many topics).
- sehr intensifies adjectives/adverbs, not verbs by itself. You can combine: wir sprechen sehr viel (we talk a great deal).
Can I front something else, like Sowieso sprechen wir viel?
Yes. Fronting Sowieso gives it emphasis: Sowieso sprechen wir viel (= “We talk a lot anyway”). The finite verb still stays in second position.
What’s the gender of Niveau, and are its forms irregular?
Niveau is neuter: das Niveau. Plurals: die Niveaus or the French-looking die Niveaux (both accepted). The case endings follow standard patterns; what you see here (diesem Niveau) is dative singular.
How would I express movement to a level versus being at a level?
- At a level (location, dative): Wir sind/arbeiten auf diesem Niveau.
- Moving to a level (direction, accusative): Wir kommen/wechseln auf dieses Niveau.
Any quick pronunciation tips for the tricky words?
- Niveau: roughly “nee-VOH” (stress on the last syllable; final -eau is “-oh”).
- wiederholen: “VEE-der-HOH-len” (no splitting of the prefix here).
- sowieso: “ZOH-vee-ZOH” (initial s- is voiced like English z).