Diesmal bin ich pünktlich.

to be

Breakdown of Diesmal bin ich pünktlich.

• ich: I
• pünktlich: on time
• diesmal: this time

Questions & Answers about Diesmal bin ich pünktlich.

Why is it “Diesmal bin ich …” and not “Ich bin … diesmal”?

German is a verb-second (V2) language for main clauses. If you put the time adverb Diesmal in first position, the finite verb bin must come second, so the subject ich moves after the verb: Diesmal bin ich pünktlich. You can also say Ich bin diesmal pünktlich—both are correct. Fronting Diesmal adds emphasis to “this time” (contrast with other times).

Is diesmal one word or should it be dieses Mal?

Both are correct, but they’re slightly different:

• diesmal = adverb (“this time” as a single word)
• dieses Mal = determiner + noun (literally “this occasion/time”); note the capital M in Mal Stylistically, both are standard. Don’t write diesemal—that’s incorrect.

What part of speech is pünktlich here, and why is there no ending?

pünktlich is an adjective used predicatively after the verb sein (“to be”). Predicative adjectives in German do not take endings: Ich bin pünktlich. Endings appear when adjectives directly modify a noun (attributive use), e.g., ein pünktlicher Mensch (“a punctual person”).

How do I pronounce the sentence?