Breakdown of An der Kreuzung überqueren Sie den Zebrastreifen.
Sie
you
den
the; (masculine, accusative)
an
at
der
the; (feminine, dative)
die Kreuzung
the intersection
überqueren
to cross
der Zebrastreifen
the crosswalk
Questions & Answers about An der Kreuzung überqueren Sie den Zebrastreifen.
Is this an imperative?
Yes. It’s the formal imperative. With Sie, the imperative is formed by placing the verb before Sie (e.g., Überqueren Sie …). Because the sentence starts with a fronted place phrase (An der Kreuzung), the finite verb still comes in second position: An der Kreuzung überqueren Sie …. Formally, this string could also be a statement; the imperative meaning comes from context (navigation/instructions) and intonation.
Why is it An der Kreuzung (dative) and not an die Kreuzung (accusative)?
An is a two-way preposition:
- Use dative for location (where?): an der Kreuzung = at the intersection.
- Use accusative for direction (to where?): an die Kreuzung = to the intersection.
Here we’re saying where the crossing happens, so dative is correct.
Why is it den Zebrastreifen and not dem Zebrastreifen?
Because überqueren is a transitive verb that takes a direct object in the accusative. Zebrastreifen is masculine: nominative der, accusative den. So: den Zebrastreifen. Using dem would be dative and ungrammatical here.
Could I also say Gehen Sie über den Zebrastreifen or Überqueren Sie die Straße am Zebrastreifen?
What’s the word order rule here?
German main clauses are verb-second (V2). The fronted phrase An der Kreuzung occupies the first slot; the finite verb überqueren is second; the subject Sie follows. Variants are possible for emphasis:
- Sie überqueren den Zebrastreifen an der Kreuzung.
- Überqueren Sie den Zebrastreifen an der Kreuzung.
- Den Zebrastreifen überqueren Sie an der Kreuzung.
Why not am Kreuzung?
What are the genders and plurals?
Pronunciation tips?
- Kreuzung: eu = “oy” (like English “boy”): [KROY-tsung]; -ung has a nasal “ng”.
- überqueren: ü is a fronted “u” (shape lips for “u”, say “ee”); stress is on -queren: [ue-ber-KVEH-ren].
- Zebrastreifen: Z = “ts”; ei = “eye”; initial Str- is pronounced “shtr-” in standard German: [TSEH-bra-SHTRY-fen].
Should there be a comma after An der Kreuzung?
No. In German you generally do not put a comma after a simple fronted adverbial or prepositional phrase. So: An der Kreuzung überqueren Sie … (no comma).
Why an and not bei (bei der Kreuzung)?
- an der Kreuzung = at the intersection (right there, at the point of crossing).
- bei der Kreuzung = near/by the intersection (in the vicinity).
For navigation, an der Kreuzung is the usual choice.
Is überqueren separable? What about its past forms?
Überqueren here has an inseparable prefix (über- is unstressed), so it does not separate. Its past participle has no ge-: (hat) überquert.
Examples: Ich habe den Zebrastreifen überquert. Simple past (rarer in speech): Ich überquerte den Zebrastreifen.
How would I say this with du or ihr?
- du (singular informal): Überquere an der Kreuzung den Zebrastreifen.
Colloquially, you can drop the final -e: Überquer an der Kreuzung … (less common with this verb). Everyday speech often prefers: Geh an der Kreuzung über den Zebrastreifen. - ihr (plural informal): Überquert an der Kreuzung den Zebrastreifen.
Isn’t “cross the crosswalk” odd? Shouldn’t it be “cross the street at the crosswalk”?
In German, both are fine:
- den Zebrastreifen überqueren (literally “cross the crosswalk”) is idiomatic.
- die Straße am Zebrastreifen überqueren (cross the street at the crosswalk) is also common.
So the given sentence is perfectly natural.
Where can I put bitte?
All of these are fine (slight shifts in tone/emphasis):
- Bitte überqueren Sie an der Kreuzung den Zebrastreifen.
- Überqueren Sie bitte an der Kreuzung den Zebrastreifen.
- Überqueren Sie an der Kreuzung bitte den Zebrastreifen.
Could Sie mean “they” here?
Formally, yes—the form Sie/sie überqueren matches both “you (formal)” and “they.” At a sentence start, capitalization doesn’t help. Context does: in directions and instructions, Sie is understood as formal “you,” and the structure (verb before Sie) signals a command rather than a statement about “they.”
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from An der Kreuzung überqueren Sie den Zebrastreifen to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions