Breakdown of Bei stürmischem Wetter bleiben wir drinnen und lesen.
und
and
wir
we
lesen
to read
das Wetter
the weather
bleiben
to stay
drinnen
inside
bei
at
stürmisch
stormy
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Questions & Answers about Bei stürmischem Wetter bleiben wir drinnen und lesen.
Why is it bei stürmischem Wetter? What case is that, and why does stürmisch end in -em?
- bei always governs the dative case.
- Wetter is neuter. In dative singular with no article, adjectives take the strong ending -em.
- Result: bei
- dative + no article → bei stürmischem Wetter.
Can I say bei dem stürmischen Wetter or beim stürmischen Wetter?
Yes. bei dem contracts to beim. With the definite article, the adjective takes the weak/mixed ending -en: bei dem/beim stürmischen Wetter. This usually sounds more specific (e.g., referring to today’s weather), whereas bei stürmischem Wetter is more general.
Why not bei stürmischen Wetter?
Because the ending -en in dative needs a determiner (e.g., dem, diesem, einem). Without any article, you must use the strong ending -em: bei stürmischem Wetter. With an article: bei dem stürmischen Wetter, bei diesem stürmischen Wetter, bei einem stürmischen Wetter (last one is grammatically fine but stylistically unusual).
Could I use im instead of bei, like im stürmischen Wetter?
Not idiomatic. German normally uses bei to express circumstances/conditions: bei stürmischem Wetter. Alternatives you will hear: bei Sturm, bei Unwetter, or im Sturm (in/into the storm), but not typically im Wetter.
What exactly does drinnen mean? How is it different from drin, innen, zu Hause, or im Haus?
- drinnen: “inside/indoors” (neutral register). Opposite: draußen.
- drin: colloquial short form of drinnen.
- innen: “on the inside/inner side” (often contrasts with “außen”), not the usual word for “indoors” by itself.
- zu Hause: “at home” (location).
- im Haus: “in the house” (physically inside a building, not necessarily your home).
So the sentence means being indoors somewhere, not necessarily at home.
Why does the verb (bleiben) come right after the bei-phrase? Is that normal word order?
Yes. German main clauses are verb-second. The bei-phrase is put first for emphasis/context, so the finite verb bleiben must be in second position: Bei stürmischem Wetter bleiben … Then comes the subject wir.
Can I put bei stürmischem Wetter at the end: Wir bleiben drinnen und lesen bei stürmischem Wetter?
Yes, that’s grammatical. However, German often puts time/condition first. With subject first, a natural order is: Wir bleiben bei stürmischem Wetter drinnen und lesen (Temporal/conditional before place; “TeKaMoLo” is a helpful guideline: Time–Cause–Manner–Place).
Why is there no comma before und?
Because this is a single clause with a compound predicate (same subject): wir [bleiben] … und [lesen]. No comma is used. If you repeat the subject—Wir bleiben drinnen, und wir lesen.—a comma before und is optional under modern rules.
Why isn’t there a second wir before lesen? Is lesen an infinitive here?
The subject wir is shared by both verbs, so it doesn’t need to be repeated. lesen here is the finite 1st‑person plural present; it just looks like the infinitive because the forms are identical for wir. You could also write: … und wir lesen.
What does the present tense convey here? Is it a general rule or right now?
German present can express habitual/general behavior. Without extra context, Bei stürmischem Wetter bleiben wir drinnen und lesen means “Whenever the weather is stormy, we stay inside and read.”
Can I say the same thing with wenn?
Yes: Wenn es stürmt, bleiben wir drinnen und lesen. Both are natural. bei + noun highlights circumstances; wenn + clause frames it as a condition/time (“when/whenever it storms”).
What gender is Wetter, and does that matter here?
Wetter is neuter (das Wetter). In the dative singular with no article, a neuter adjective takes -em: stürmischem. With a definite article, it’s dem stürmischen Wetter.
Is bei stürmischem Wetter expressing time or condition?
It functions as a circumstantial adverbial; you can interpret it as temporal (“in/when there is stormy weather”) and, pragmatically, also conditional (“if it’s stormy”). Both readings are common.
Does drinnen necessarily mean “at home”?
No. drinnen = indoors (any building or enclosed space). If you specifically mean “at home,” say zu Hause: Bei stürmischem Wetter bleiben wir zu Hause und lesen.
What are some natural variations a native speaker might use?
- Bei Sturm bleiben wir drinnen und lesen.
- Bei schlechtem Wetter bleiben wir drinnen und lesen.
- Wenn es draußen stürmt, bleiben wir drinnen und lesen.
- Wir bleiben im Haus und lesen.
- Wir bleiben zu Hause und lesen ein Buch.