Wir füllen die Flasche mit Wasser.

We fill the bottle with water.

Breakdown of Wir füllen die Flasche mit Wasser.

• das Wasser: the water
• mit: with
• wir: we
• die Flasche: the bottle
• füllen: to fill

Questions & Answers about Wir füllen die Flasche mit Wasser.

What case is “die Flasche,” and why is it “die” here?

It’s accusative, because the bottle is the direct object of the action. “Flasche” is feminine, and the feminine article is “die” in both nominative and accusative singular. Dative would be “der Flasche,” and genitive “der Flasche.”

What case does “mit” take in “mit Wasser”?

“Mit” always takes the dative. Here we don’t see a dative article because “Wasser” is used as a mass noun without an article, but if you used an article, it would be dative: “mit dem Wasser” (neuter dative).

Why is there no article before “Wasser”?

Because “Wasser” is a mass/uncountable noun; German often omits the article for substances in a generic sense: “mit Wasser.” Use an article when referring to specific water (“mit dem Wasser aus dem Hahn”) or add “etwas” for “some”: “mit etwas Wasser.”

Can I also say “Wir füllen Wasser in die Flasche,” and is there a difference?

Yes.

• “Wir füllen die Flasche mit Wasser” focuses on the container being filled (container as object).
• “Wir füllen Wasser in die Flasche” focuses on moving the liquid into the container (content as object). With “in,” use accusative for motion: “in die Flasche.”

Where can “mit Wasser” go in the sentence?

Default and most natural: “Wir füllen die Flasche mit Wasser.” You can front it for emphasis: “Mit Wasser füllen wir die Flasche.” Placing it before the object (“Wir füllen mit Wasser die Flasche”) is possible but marked and less natural unless you’re contrasting the means/content.

How do I form a yes/no question and a subordinate clause with this?

• Yes/no question (V1): “Füllen wir die Flasche mit Wasser?”
• Subordinate clause (verb-final): “…, dass wir die Flasche mit Wasser füllen.”

Does German have a separate present progressive (“are filling”)?

No. The simple present covers both: “Wir füllen …” can mean “we fill” or “we are filling.” If needed, add time words like “gerade” to clarify ongoing action: “Wir füllen gerade die Flasche …”

How do I negate the sentence properly?

Use “nicht.”

• Negate the whole action: “Wir füllen die Flasche nicht.”
• Negate the content: “Wir füllen die Flasche nicht mit Wasser, sondern mit Saft.” “Nicht” usually comes right before the element you’re negating.

How do I pronounce “füllen,” and how is it different from “fühlen”?

• “füllen” has a short Ü: [ˈfʏlən], like a short, rounded version of “i” in “fill.”
• “fühlen” (to feel) has a long Ü: [ˈfyːlən]. The “h” marks the vowel as long. Don’t confuse them; they mean very different things.

How do I type the Ü if I don’t have a German keyboard?

Write “ü” as “ue”: “füllen” → “fuellen.” Avoid “fullen”—that’s incorrect.

Is “füllen” a separable verb, and how is it conjugated?

“Füllen” is not separable and is a regular (weak) verb.

• Present: ich fülle, du füllst, er/sie/es füllt, wir füllen, ihr füllt, sie/Sie füllen.
• Perfekt: “haben” + “gefüllt” (Wir haben … gefüllt.)
• Präteritum: “füllte.”

What about related verbs like “auffüllen,” “nachfüllen,” “abfüllen,” “befüllen,” or “einfüllen”?

• auffüllen: top up/fill up to a higher level.
• nachfüllen: refill.
• abfüllen: decant/bottle (often industrial).
• befüllen: fill (often technical/neutral alternative to “füllen”).
• einfüllen: pour/fill into (focus on the act of putting in). Colloquially, also “vollmachen” = make full.

How do I say this in the passive?

• Process (werden-Passiv): “Die Flasche wird mit Wasser gefüllt.” (It’s being filled.)
• Result state (sein-Passiv/adjectival): “Die Flasche ist mit Wasser gefüllt.” (It’s filled.)

What’s the plural of “Flasche,” and how does it decline?

Plural is “die Flaschen.”

• Accusative plural: “Wir füllen die Flaschen mit Wasser.”
• Dative plural with article: “mit den Flaschen.” (Dative plural nouns often take an -n if possible; “Flaschen” already ends in -n.)

Why is “Flasche” feminine, and is there a trick to remember?

Gender is lexical and must be learned, but many objects ending in -e are feminine (e.g., “die Tasche,” “die Tasse,” “die Kanne”). Use a mnemonic: picture a bottle with a big “die” label on it.

Does “mit” express both content and instrument? Could that be ambiguous?

Yes, “mit” can mark content or instrument:

• Content: “die Flasche mit Wasser füllen.”
• Instrument: “die Flasche mit einem Trichter füllen.” To avoid stacking two “mit…” phrases awkwardly, rephrase: “Wir füllen mithilfe eines Trichters Wasser in die Flasche.”

How do I replace “die Flasche” and “mit Wasser” with pronouns?

• “die Flasche” → “sie”: “Wir füllen sie mit Wasser.”
• “mit Wasser” (with a specific water mentioned) → “damit”: “Wir füllen sie damit.” (“damit” = “mit dem/ihm” + thing)

Is “ausfüllen” usable here?

No. “Ausfüllen” means “to fill out” forms: “ein Formular ausfüllen.” For containers, use “füllen/befüllen,” “auffüllen,” “nachfüllen,” etc.

Can I say “Die Flasche ist voll Wasser” instead of using “gefüllt”?

Yes: “Die Flasche ist voll Wasser” (full of water) is idiomatic. Also common: “Die Flasche ist voller Wasser.” “Voll mit Wasser” is colloquial; “mit Wasser gefüllt” is neutral and clear.

Can I emphasize a complete fill with “voll”?

Yes. “Wir füllen die Flasche voll” stresses the result (completely full). You can also say “Wir füllen die Flasche ganz auf.”