Meine Nachbarin mäht den Rasen ebenfalls; wir treffen uns anschließend.

Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning German now

Questions & Answers about Meine Nachbarin mäht den Rasen ebenfalls; wir treffen uns anschließend.

Why is it meine Nachbarin and not mein Nachbarin?

Because Nachbarin is feminine. Possessive determiners agree with the noun’s gender, number, and case. In the nominative singular:

  • masculine: mein Nachbar
  • feminine: meine Nachbarin
  • neuter: mein Kind
  • plural: meine Nachbarn
What’s the masculine form of Nachbarin, and is there any declension gotcha?

The masculine is der Nachbar. It has N-declension in some cases:

  • nominative: der Nachbar
  • accusative: den Nachbarn
  • dative: dem Nachbarn
  • genitive: des Nachbarn The feminine Nachbarin declines regularly (no -n added in singular).
Why is it den Rasen and not der Rasen?
Den Rasen is accusative masculine singular. Rasen is the direct object of mäht, so it takes the accusative. Masculine nouns change their definite article from der (nominative) to den (accusative).
Could I say das Gras instead of der Rasen?

Sometimes, but they’re not identical:

  • der Rasen = lawn (a maintained grassy area you mow)
  • das Gras = grass (the plant in general) For mowing the lawn, Germans typically say den Rasen mähen, not das Gras mähen (though you may hear it informally).
Is mäht irregular?

No. mähen is regular. Present tense:

  • ich mähe, du mähst, er/sie/es mäht, wir mähen, ihr mäht, sie/Sie mähen Pronunciation tip: mäht has a long vowel [mɛːt].
Why is the verb in second position in Meine Nachbarin mäht den Rasen …?

German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule: the finite verb comes second. Here:

  • 1st element: Meine Nachbarin (subject)
  • 2nd element: mäht (finite verb) Everything else follows.
What does ebenfalls mean here, and where can it go in the sentence?

ebenfalls means “also/as well/likewise.” Common placements:

  • Meine Nachbarin mäht ebenfalls den Rasen.
  • Meine Nachbarin mäht den Rasen ebenfalls. Both are fine; sentence-final ebenfalls slightly de-emphasizes it. You can also use auch, but its position changes the focus:
  • Meine Nachbarin mäht auch den Rasen. (she does that too, among other tasks)
  • Auch meine Nachbarin mäht den Rasen. (she, too, does it—like someone else already mentioned)
Can I use gleichfalls instead of ebenfalls?
Generally, no. gleichfalls is mostly used as a stand‑alone “likewise!” in replies (e.g., after well-wishing). In running text, gleichfalls sounds formal or old-fashioned and is less common than ebenfalls/auch. Prefer ebenfalls or auch here.
Is the semicolon normal in German? Could I use a comma or a period instead?

Yes. German allows several options between two main clauses:

  • semicolon: … ebenfalls; wir treffen uns … (strong pause; neat separation)
  • period: … ebenfalls. Wir treffen uns … (most neutral)
  • comma: … ebenfalls, wir treffen uns … (asyndetic coordination; permissible in German, though many writers prefer a semicolon or add und: …, und wir treffen uns …)
Why is it wir treffen uns and not just wir treffen?
German often uses the reflexive verb sich treffen to mean “meet (each other).” So with “we,” it’s wir treffen uns (accusative reflexive). Without the reflexive, treffen is transitive: Wir treffen ihn = “We meet him.” Wir treffen by itself is incomplete.
Could I say wir treffen anschließend or wir treffen uns zusammen?
  • wir treffen anschließend is ungrammatical because treffen needs an object; you need uns: wir treffen uns anschließend.
  • zusammen is redundant with sich treffen. Wir treffen uns already implies meeting together. You can say Wir treffen uns anschließend, or for mild emphasis: Wir treffen uns anschließend zusammen—but the latter is stylistically unnecessary.
What nuance does anschließend have compared with danach, dann, or später?
  • anschließend = immediately afterward/next in sequence (somewhat formal, common in reports)
  • danach = after that (neutral, very common)
  • dann = then/next (sequential, not necessarily “after that event”)
  • später = later (unspecified later time) All work here, but anschließend suggests a direct follow-up to the mowing.
Where can I place anschließend?

Time adverbs frequently appear toward the end or at the start:

  • End: Wir treffen uns anschließend.
  • Fronted (causes inversion): Anschließend treffen wir uns. Both are natural; fronting emphasizes the sequence/time.
Why are Nachbarin and Rasen capitalized but ebenfalls/anschließend are not?
All nouns are capitalized in German: Nachbarin, Rasen. Adverbs and verbs are lower-case: ebenfalls, anschließend, mäht.
Does the present tense here mean “right now,” or can it refer to the future?
German present can cover the near future, especially for scheduled plans: Wir treffen uns anschließend = “We’re meeting afterwards.” You could also say Wir werden uns anschließend treffen, but it’s not necessary.