Learn Hardcore German: Nach der Einzahlung prüfe ich meinen Kontostand online. - After the deposit I check my account balance online.

Because nach governs the dative case. Einzahlung is feminine (die Einzahlung), and the dative singular feminine ending is der. So: nach der Einzahlung = after the deposit.

Could I use “nachdem” or “danach” instead? What’s the difference?

nach + noun (dative): After a thing/event named as a noun. Example: Nach der Einzahlung prüfe ich …
nachdem + clause: After an action expressed as a full verb clause. Example: Nachdem ich eingezahlt habe, prüfe ich meinen Kontostand online.
danach (adverb): “Afterwards,” no noun or clause follows. Example: Ich zahle ein; danach prüfe ich meinen Kontostand.

Why does the verb come before “ich” (prüfe ich) instead of “ich prüfe”?

German is a strict verb-second (V2) language in main clauses. When you put Nach der Einzahlung in the first position, the finite verb (prüfe) must take second position, and the subject (ich) moves after it: Nach der Einzahlung prüfe ich …

Do I need a comma after “Nach der Einzahlung”?

No. A short introductory prepositional phrase like this normally takes no comma: Nach der Einzahlung prüfe ich …
But if you use nachdem with a full clause, you must use a comma: Nachdem ich eingezahlt habe, prüfe ich …

Why is it “meinen Kontostand,” not “mein Kontostand”?

Because Kontostand is the direct object of prüfen and is masculine singular, so it takes the accusative. The possessive mein- declines like an adjective:

Nominative: mein Kontostand (subject)
Accusative: meinen Kontostand (direct object)
Dative: meinem Kontostand (indirect object)

What gender is “Kontostand,” and how is it formed?

Kontostand is masculine: der Kontostand (pl. die Kontostände, rare in everyday speech). It’s a compound: Konto (account) + Stand (status/standing = balance).

Where can I put “online” in the sentence?

It’s flexible:

Common: Ich prüfe meinen Kontostand online.
With a fronted time phrase (your sentence): Nach der Einzahlung prüfe ich meinen Kontostand online.
Before the object: Ich prüfe online meinen Kontostand.
Fronted for emphasis: Online prüfe ich meinen Kontostand. Avoid using bare “online” as an attributive adjective before the noun: not meinen online Kontostand. If you want it as a compound noun, write meinen Online-Kontostand.

Is “prüfen” the best verb here? What about “checken,” “kontrollieren,” or “überprüfen”?

All are possible, with nuances:

prüfen: neutral “check/examine,” perfectly fine here.
kontrollieren: “check/monitor,” also fine and common.
überprüfen: “verify” (often more thorough).
checken: colloquial “to check.”
Your sentence reads most neutral and standard with prüfen or kontrollieren.

Does the present tense here mean “I check” or “I will check”?

Both are possible. German present can express:

Habitual/general present: “After a deposit, I (always) check…”
Near future/plan: “After the deposit, I’ll check…”
Context decides. If you want to stress future, you can also use werde: Nach der Einzahlung werde ich … prüfen.

Is “einzahlen” separable, and how would I use it as a verb?

Yes, einzahlen is separable:

Present: Ich zahle (das Geld) ein.
Perfect: Ich habe (das Geld) eingezahlt. With a clause: Nachdem ich (das Geld) eingezahlt habe, prüfe ich …
The noun Einzahlung is the nominalized action: “the deposit.”

What’s the difference between “Einzahlung” and “Überweisung”?

Einzahlung: a deposit into an account, often cash at a branch or ATM (but can be broader).
Überweisung: a bank transfer from one account to another.
Also useful:
Geldeingang: incoming funds credited to the account (regardless of how).
Einzahlung ≠ Überweisung, though both can lead to a Geldeingang.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

Nach: final “ch” is the back-of-the-throat sound (like in “Bach”), not “k.”
prüfe: ü is like French “u” (say “ee” while rounding your lips): roughly “PRUE-fuh.”
Kontostand: stress on the first part “KON-to-,” and the “st” in “Stand” is pronounced like “sht”: “KON-to-shtand.”
online: roughly like English “ON-line.”

Which words are capitalized?

German capitalizes all nouns: Einzahlung, Kontostand. The adverb online stays lowercase. Sentence-initial Nach is capitalized because it starts the sentence, not because it’s a noun.

Can I say “Ich prüfe meinen Kontostand nach der Einzahlung online” instead?

It’s grammatical, but German tends to prefer the time element earlier (TEKAMOLO: Time–Cause–Manner–Place). Your original—fronting the time phrase—is very natural: Nach der Einzahlung prüfe ich meinen Kontostand online. The versions with online at the end or just before the object are both fine.

Can I drop the article and say “Nach Einzahlung …”?

You’ll see that in headings or very formal/elliptical contexts, but in normal sentences Nach der Einzahlung … is more idiomatic.