Learn Hardcore German: Der Bibliotheksausweis liegt neben dem Wörterbuch; könnten Sie ihn mir bitte kurz bringen? - The library card is lying next to the dictionary; could you please bring it to me briefly?

Since the card is lying next to the dictionary (location), you use dative: neben dem Wörterbuch. If you were placing it there, you’d say: Ich lege den Ausweis neben das Wörterbuch (accusative).

Why is it ihn and not ihm or es?

ihn = accusative singular masculine pronoun, referring to der Ausweis (masculine).
ihm is dative masculine/neuter (would be wrong for the direct object here).
es is neuter; Ausweis isn’t neuter.

In the request, bringen takes a direct object (accusative: what is brought) and an indirect object (dative: to whom). Hence: ihn mir = bring it (him) to me.

Why is it mir and not für mich?

With verbs like geben, schicken, bringen, German uses a dative recipient: jemandem etwas bringen. So mir is the natural choice. für mich would mean “for my benefit” or “on my behalf” and sounds odd or redundant here.

Why is the order ihn mir and not mir ihn?

When both objects are pronouns, standard word order is accusative before dative: ihn mir (e.g., Gib ihn mir). Mir ihn is possible only with strong emphasis or in special contexts, but it’s less idiomatic in neutral speech.

What’s the function of könnten Sie? Is this a special tense?

könnten is the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) of können. It softens the request and makes it more polite: “Could you…?” Compare:

Können Sie… = “Can you…?” (polite, but more direct)
Könnten Sie… = “Could you…?” (softer, very polite)
Würden Sie … bringen? is also very polite and common.

Why is Sie capitalized?

Capital Sie is the formal “you.” It and its forms (Ihnen, Ihr) are always capitalized, regardless of where they appear in the sentence. Don’t confuse it with lowercase sie = “she/they.”

Is the semicolon here correct? Could I use a comma or a period instead? And why is könnten not capitalized after it?

Yes, the semicolon correctly separates two closely related main clauses.
A period (full stop) would also be fine: … Wörterbuch. Könnten Sie …?
A simple comma between independent clauses (without a conjunction) is generally not allowed in standard German.
After a semicolon, the next word is not capitalized unless it’s a noun or proper name—hence könnten remains lowercase.

Why liegt instead of ist?

liegen gives a more specific posture/location: “is lying.” ist is neutral and possible, but liegt is idiomatic for flat objects on a surface. Similarly, steht (is standing) or hängt (is hanging) are used for upright or hanging positions.

Why neben and not bei or nebenan?

neben = physically next to, side by side.
bei = at/with (often at someone’s place or near a person/organization).
nebenan = next door/adjacent (as an adverb), not “next to [this object].” So neben dem Wörterbuch is the precise spatial relation.

What does kurz add in this request?

kurz literally means “briefly,” but in requests it’s a softener: “just quickly,” “for a moment,” signaling the task is small. It’s about politeness, not time measurement. You can reinforce it with mal: … bitte mal kurz …

Where can I put bitte and kurz?

Both are flexible in the midfield. Common options include:

Könnten Sie ihn mir bitte kurz bringen?
Könnten Sie ihn mir kurz bitte bringen?
Bitte bringen Sie ihn mir kurz. (imperative) Avoid splitting fixed verb parts or pushing them into unnatural positions. Generally, pronouns come early, then softeners like bitte/kurz before the final verb.

Why is bringen at the end?

In a yes/no question with a modal, the finite verb (könnten) goes first, the rest of the clause (subjects/objects/particles) sits in the middle, and the non‑finite verb (bringen) goes to the end: Könnten … bringen? This is standard German word order.

Should it be bringen or holen?

bringen focuses on carrying something to the speaker/recipient.
holen focuses on going to get something (and bringing it back). Here you’re asking the person to bring it to you, so bringen is perfect. Holen would emphasize the fetching action: Könnten Sie ihn mir holen? (also possible, slightly different focus).

What about herbringen or mitbringen?

herbringen explicitly marks movement toward the speaker: … ihn mir herbringen (fine if you want to stress “towards me”).
mitbringen is “bring along (with you).” Use it when the person will come to where you are and bring it along from somewhere else. In the same room/context, plain bringen is most common.

Why is it Der Bibliotheksausweis? What gender is Ausweis?

Ausweis is masculine, so the nominative singular is der Ausweis. As the subject of liegt, it’s nominative: Der Bibliotheksausweis. If it were the direct object, you’d see den Ausweis; dative would be dem Ausweis.

What gender is Wörterbuch, and why dem?

Wörterbuch is neuter: das Wörterbuch. In dative singular, neuter takes dem, hence neben dem Wörterbuch. In accusative (direction), it would be neben das Wörterbuch.

Can I repeat the noun instead of using ihn?

Yes: Könnten Sie mir bitte kurz den Bibliotheksausweis bringen? That’s fully correct. Because the noun was just mentioned, a pronoun (ihn) is more natural and avoids repetition.

Is it okay to drop bitte or kurz?

Dropping kurz is fine; it just removes the “quickly/just” softener.
Dropping bitte makes the request more direct; könnten Sie is still polite, but bitte is customary politeness in German requests. Best: keep bitte.

Could I write this with an imperative instead?

Yes, the formal imperative is: Bringen Sie ihn mir bitte kurz. It’s polite but more direct than the könnten Sie version, which sounds softer and is often preferred in service contexts.

Any common pitfalls with pronouns here?

Don’t say ihm for the card; that’s the dative form and wrong for the direct object.
Keep pronoun order as ihn mir (accusative before dative) in neutral sentences.
Remember Sie (formal you) is capitalized; sie (she/they) is not.