Learn Hardcore German: Beim Spaziergang hält die Frau die Leine immer kurz. - On the walk the woman always keeps the leash short.

Beim is the contraction of bei dem. With activities, bei often means “during/while,” so beim Spaziergang = “during the walk.” The preposition bei always takes the dative, so it’s dative singular: dem Spaziergang.

Why is hält (the verb) in second position after that opening phrase?

German main clauses follow the “verb-second” (V2) rule. The fronted time phrase Beim Spaziergang occupies the first slot; the finite verb hält must then come second. The subject die Frau follows the verb.

Which noun is the subject and which is the object, even though both show up as die?

Subject: die Frau (nominative; the doer)
Direct object: die Leine (accusative; the thing being kept short) Feminine nouns use die in both nominative and accusative singular, so you rely on word order and the verb’s logic: the woman holds; the leash is held.

Why is it kurz and not kurze?

Here kurz is a predicative adjective (an object complement) after halten: etwas kurz halten (“keep something short”). Predicative adjectives don’t take endings. You’d only add an ending in an attributive position before a noun, e.g., die kurze Leine.

What construction is die Leine kurz halten?

It’s an object + object-complement pattern: [object] + [adjective] with verbs like halten, finden, machen. Examples:

die Leine kurz halten (keep the leash short)
das Fenster offen lassen (leave the window open)
etwas sauber machen (make something clean)

Can I move immer to other places, and does it change the meaning?

Yes; immer (always) is flexible in the middle field. All are fine, with slight shifts in focus:

Beim Spaziergang hält die Frau die Leine immer kurz. (neutral)
Beim Spaziergang hält die Frau immer die Leine kurz. (focus on frequency with the object)
Die Frau hält die Leine beim Spaziergang immer kurz. (subject-first) Avoid putting immer at the very end. Fronting Immer is possible for emphasis: Immer hält die Frau …

Could I use während instead of beim?

Yes. Während takes the genitive in standard German:

Während des Spaziergangs hält die Frau die Leine immer kurz. Colloquially some regions use dative (während dem), but the genitive is the recommended standard. You can also say:
Beim Spazierengehen hält die Frau die Leine immer kurz.
Während sie spazieren geht, hält die Frau die Leine immer kurz.

Is auf dem Spaziergang idiomatic?

Generally no. Use beim Spaziergang or während des Spaziergangs. Auf dem Spaziergang is uncommon and can sound non-native.

What are the genders and plurals of Spaziergang and Leine?

der Spaziergang (masc.), plural die Spaziergänge
die Leine (fem.), plural die Leinen (e.g., Hundeleinen)

Can I say eine Frau instead of die Frau?

Yes, but it changes the reference:

die Frau = a specific, known woman
eine Frau = some woman/one woman (introducing her as new information)

Why is there no comma in the sentence?

It’s a single main clause with a fronted adverbial; no subordinate clause is present, so no comma is required.

How is halten conjugated, and what are the key forms?

halten is irregular with a stem-vowel change (a → ä) in 2nd/3rd person singular.

Present: ich halte, du hältst, er/sie/es hält, wir halten, ihr haltet, sie halten
Preterite: ich hielt, du hieltest, er/sie/es hielt, …
Perfekt: hat gehalten
Imperative: halt! / haltet! / halten Sie!

Does die Leine kurz halten have a figurative meaning?

Literally it’s about a leash. Figuratively, German uses:

jemanden an der kurzen Leine halten/nehmen = keep someone on a short leash (control them closely). Your sentence is most naturally read literally.

What’s the difference between die Leine kurz halten and den Hund an der Leine führen?

die Leine kurz halten emphasizes the leash’s short length (control via tight/short leash).
den Hund an der Leine führen means “walk/lead the dog on a leash,” without specifying length. You can combine them:
- Sie führt den Hund an der Leine und hält die Leine kurz.

Could I say Die Frau lässt die Leine kurz?

It’s possible but less common. lassen means “let/leave (in a state).” You more often hear:

die Leine lang lassen (let the leash be long)
die Leine kurz halten (actively keep it short) Using lassen suggests allowing the state; halten suggests actively maintaining it.

Can beim Spaziergang be placed elsewhere?

Yes:

Die Frau hält die Leine immer kurz beim Spaziergang. (end placement; acceptable but less tidy)
Die Frau hält beim Spaziergang die Leine immer kurz. (very natural) Fronting it, as in the original, is also very common.

Why is Spaziergang capitalized, and how about spazieren gehen / Spazierengehen?

All nouns are capitalized: der Spaziergang. The verb phrase is spazieren gehen (lowercase). When nominalized, it becomes one capitalized noun: das Spazierengehen (or beim Spazierengehen).

Does the sentence describe one specific walk or a general habit?

Context decides. With immer, it naturally reads as a habitual practice during walks (in general). In a narrative about a particular outing, it can also mean “on this walk, she’s keeping the leash short the whole time.”