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Am Freitag gehe ich ins Kino.

Am Freitag gehe ich ins Kino.
On Friday I go to the cinema.
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Questions & Answers about Am Freitag gehe ich ins Kino.

Why is the verb after the time phrase? Where is the subject?
German main clauses are verb-second (V2). The fronted time phrase Am Freitag occupies position 1, the finite verb gehe stays in position 2, and the subject ich follows: Am Freitag | gehe | ich | ins Kino.
Can I start with the subject instead? Are both orders correct?
Yes. Ich gehe am Freitag ins Kino. and Am Freitag gehe ich ins Kino. are both correct. Starting with the time phrase emphasizes the time a bit more.
Where do time and place go in German sentences?
Default order is Time–Manner–Place (often called TMP). Example: Ich gehe am Freitag mit Freunden ins Kino. You can front one element for emphasis, but Ich gehe ins Kino am Freitag sounds marked or clunky.
What does am mean here, and why not an Freitag or im Freitag?
am = an + dem (dative). Days of the week use dative with temporal an: am Freitag. An Freitag is not idiomatic, and im Freitag is wrong; im is used with months/seasons, e.g., im Oktober, im Winter.
What does ins mean? Which case does it use?

ins = in + das (accusative). in is a two-way preposition:

  • Movement into = accusative: ins Kino (into the cinema)
  • Location in = dative: im Kino (in the cinema), where im = in + dem
Could I say zum Kino instead of ins Kino?
Not for attending a movie. zum = zu + dem (dative) means “to(ward) the cinema” (the vicinity). To express going inside to watch a film, use ins Kino.
Does gehen imply going on foot? Why not use fahren?
In ins Kino gehen, gehen is the idiomatic verb regardless of transport. Fahren highlights traveling by vehicle and would shift the focus: Am Freitag fahre ich ins Kino sounds like “I’ll drive to the cinema,” not simply “I’m going to the movies.”
Why is present tense used for a future plan?
German often uses the present with a time expression for future plans: Am Freitag gehe ich … The future tense werde … gehen is possible (Am Freitag werde ich ins Kino gehen) but usually adds prediction/emphasis and is less common in everyday speech here.
How else can I express the time: every Friday, Friday evening, this Friday, next Friday?
  • Every Friday: Freitags gehe ich ins Kino. / Jeden Freitag gehe ich …
  • Friday evening: Am Freitagabend gehe ich …
  • This Friday: Diesen Freitag gehe ich … (accusative time adverbial; no am)
  • Next Friday: Am nächsten Freitag gehe ich … (dative after am), or without am: Nächsten Freitag gehe ich …
How do I negate it?

Put nicht before what you negate:

  • Not going to the cinema: Am Freitag gehe ich nicht ins Kino.
  • Not on Friday (but another day): Ich gehe am Freitag nicht ins Kino, sondern am Samstag.
How do I turn it into a yes/no or a wh-question?
  • Yes/no: Gehst du am Freitag ins Kino?
  • Wh-questions: Wann gehst du ins Kino? / Wohin gehst du am Freitag?
Why are Freitag and Kino capitalized, but ich is not?
All nouns are capitalized in German. Freitag (a noun) and Kino are capitalized. Pronouns like ich are lowercase unless they start a sentence.
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • Freitag: ei like English “eye”; final g sounds like k (FREI-tak).
  • gehe: two syllables, long e (GEH-eh).
  • ich: soft “ch” (the “ich-sound”), not “k” or “sh.”
  • Kino: stress first syllable, long i (KEE-no).
Can I say Ich gehe ins Kino am Freitag?
It’s understandable but not the preferred order. Natural options: Ich gehe am Freitag ins Kino. / Am Freitag gehe ich ins Kino.
How would I say it in the past?

Perfect (most common in speech): Am Freitag bin ich ins Kino gegangen.
Preterite (more written/literary in many regions): Am Freitag ging ich ins Kino.

What are the genders and cases here?
  • Freitag: masculine; with am it’s dative (an dem Freitag → am Freitag).
  • Kino: neuter (das Kino); with ins it’s accusative (in das Kino → ins Kino).
  • ich: nominative subject.
Do I need a comma after the initial time phrase?
No. German doesn’t use a comma just because a time adverbial is fronted. Am Freitag gehe ich ins Kino. has no comma.
Can I add more details without breaking word order?
Yes. The verb still stays second: Am Freitag um 20 Uhr gehe ich mit Freunden ins Kino. (First element = the whole fronted time phrase; verb = second.)