Breakdown of Die Kinder sind fleißig im Unterricht.
sein
to be
das Kind
the child
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
der Unterricht
the class
fleißig
diligent
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Questions & Answers about Die Kinder sind fleißig im Unterricht.
Why is it Die Kinder and not Die Kindern?
Because Die Kinder is nominative plural for the subject. Kindern is dative plural (used after certain prepositions or verbs, e.g., mit den Kindern, ich helfe den Kindern). The article die is the definite article for all nominative-plural nouns.
What case is im Unterricht and why?
It’s dative. in takes dative for location/state, and Unterricht is masculine, so dative is dem Unterricht. im is the contraction of in dem.
Can I say in dem Unterricht instead of im Unterricht?
Grammatically yes, but the contraction im is strongly preferred in standard usage. In dem Unterricht can sound overly heavy unless you’re stressing or contrasting that specific class.
Why doesn’t fleißig have an ending here?
Because it’s used predicatively with sein. Predicative adjectives in German are uninflected: Die Kinder sind fleißig. If the adjective comes before the noun (attributive), you add an ending: die fleißigen Kinder.
Is fleißig an adjective or an adverb here?
It’s a predicative adjective linked by sein. In German, many adjectives also work adverbially without changing form (e.g., Die Kinder lernen fleißig).
Can I change the word order to Die Kinder sind im Unterricht fleißig?
Yes, both orders are correct. Ending the clause with fleißig puts a bit more emphasis on the quality; ending with im Unterricht highlights the context “in class.”
What exactly does im Unterricht mean—place or time?
It functions as an adverbial of context: “during class/while instruction is happening” (a mix of time and activity). If you want the physical place, you’d usually say in der Schule (“at school”).
Is beim Unterricht also possible?
Yes. beim = bei dem and often frames the lesson as an event (“at/during the lesson”). im Unterricht is the most common and neutral choice.
Why not say Die Kinder arbeiten/lernen fleißig?
You can. sind fleißig states a quality; arbeiten/lernen fleißig states the action. All are idiomatic, with slight nuance differences.
What gender is Unterricht, and can it be plural?
Masculine: der Unterricht. It’s normally a mass noun with no plural in everyday use; for a single lesson, say die Unterrichtsstunde or simply die Stunde.
How do I pronounce fleißig and what’s the ß?
ei sounds like English “eye,” and ß is like a sharp “ss.” Many speakers pronounce final -ig like the “ch” in ich. Swiss Standard German spells it fleissig.
Can I drop the article and say Kinder sind fleißig im Unterricht?
It’s possible in headlines or very general statements, but for a specific group German prefers Die Kinder. Bare plural subjects are less common in neutral prose.
How does the case change with motion vs. location?
Location/state: dative — im Unterricht sein/bleiben. Motion toward: accusative — in den Unterricht gehen/kommen.
How do I make comparisons with fleißig here?
Comparative: Die Kinder sind fleißiger im Unterricht. Superlative (predicative): Die Kinder sind am fleißigsten im Unterricht. Attributive superlative would inflect: die fleißigsten Kinder.
Why are Kinder and Unterricht capitalized but fleißig isn’t?
All nouns are capitalized in German, including plurals like Kinder and mass nouns like Unterricht. Adjectives like fleißig are lowercase unless nominalized or at the beginning of a sentence.