Learn Hardcore German: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis darf man das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen. - Without a library card you are not allowed to take the dictionary with you.

man is an impersonal pronoun meaning “one/you/people in general.” It states a general rule without addressing anyone directly.
It conjugates like 3rd person singular: man darf, not “man dürfen.”
Natural alternatives depending on context:
- Informal address: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis darfst du das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen.
- Formal address: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis dürfen Sie das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen.
- Passive: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis darf das Wörterbuch nicht mitgenommen werden.
Don’t confuse man with Mann (“man/male person”); spelling differs.

Why is “darf” in second position after “Ohne Bibliotheksausweis”?

German main clauses are verb-second (V2). The entire prepositional phrase Ohne Bibliotheksausweis occupies the first slot, so the finite verb darf must come next. The subject man follows the verb:

First field: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis
Second (finite verb): darf
Subject: man
Rest: das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen

Why is “nicht” placed before “mitnehmen”?

With a modal verb (dürfen) plus an infinitive (mitnehmen), nicht usually precedes the infinitive group to negate the action: … nicht mitnehmen.
Contrast:
- Man darf das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen. = Taking it is not permitted.
- Man darf nicht das Wörterbuch mitnehmen. = You may take something, but specifically not the dictionary (contrastive focus on the object).
Don’t put nicht at the very end in this structure: ✗ “mitnehmen nicht” (in a full clause) is unidiomatic.

Why “mitnehmen” and not “nehmen” or “mitbringen”?

nehmen = take/pick up.
mitnehmen = take along/take away with you (from here to elsewhere).
mitbringen = bring along (to here). For a library rule about removing an item from the building, mitnehmen fits. In a loaning context, the formal verb is often ausleihen/entleihen.

Is it okay that there’s no article before “Bibliotheksausweis”?

Yes. After ohne, German often omits an article to state general conditions, especially in notices/rules:

Ohne Bibliotheksausweis … (general condition) You can include an article if you wish:
Ohne einen Bibliotheksausweis … (a/any library card)
Ohne den Bibliotheksausweis … (that specific card)

What case does “ohne” take, and what would the full phrase with an article look like?

ohne always takes the accusative.
Masculine singular with article: ohne einen Bibliotheksausweis (indefinite) / ohne den Bibliotheksausweis (definite).

What gender is “Bibliotheksausweis,” and how can I tell?

Bibliotheksausweis is masculine (der Bibliotheksausweis).
In German compounds, the rightmost element determines gender; here it’s der Ausweis.

Why “das Wörterbuch,” and which case is it?

das Wörterbuch is neuter (dictionary).
It’s the direct object, so it’s in the accusative. Neuter has the same form in nominative and accusative: das.

Could I say “Man darf kein Wörterbuch mitnehmen” instead?

Yes, but the meaning changes:

Man darf kein Wörterbuch mitnehmen. = You may not take any dictionary (no dictionaries at all).
Man darf das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen. = You may not take the dictionary (a specific one that’s understood from context). This also illustrates kein (negates nouns with an indefinite sense) vs. nicht (sentence/verb negation or with definite nouns).

What’s the difference between “man darf nicht …” and “man muss nicht …”?

man darf nicht … = not allowed/prohibited (“mustn’t”/“may not”).
man muss nicht … = not required (“don’t have to”). It does not mean prohibition.

Can I replace “man” with “Sie” or “du”? Does that change the tone?

Sie is formal and polite: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis dürfen Sie … nicht mitnehmen.
du is informal: … darfst du … nicht mitnehmen.
man states an impersonal rule; it’s neutral and common for rules/signs.

How does the separable verb behave without a modal or in a subordinate clause?

Without a modal (the verb separates): Man nimmt das Wörterbuch nicht mit.
With a modal (no separation; infinitive at the end): Man darf das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen.
In a subordinate clause (finite verb at the end, after the infinitive): …, dass man das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen darf.

Would “können” work here instead of “dürfen”?

können = ability/possibility. Man kann das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen suggests it’s impossible (e.g., too heavy, no bag).
dürfen = permission. The sentence is about rules, so dürfen is the correct choice.

Is there a more typical library verb than “mitnehmen”?

Yes: ausleihen (borrow, check out) or the formal entleihen.

Rule-style: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis darf man das Wörterbuch nicht ausleihen. Note: Many dictionaries are Präsenzbestand (reference only), so even with a card you might not be allowed to take them home.

Any spelling or capitalization tips for these words?

All nouns are capitalized: Bibliotheksausweis, Wörterbuch.
Umlaut: Wörterbuch has ö. If you can’t type it, write Woerterbuch (not “Worterbuch”).
Bibliotheksausweis is one word (compound).
Verb mitnehmen is lowercase.

Can I rearrange parts of the sentence for emphasis?

Yes, while keeping the verb-second rule:

Neutral/topic = condition first: Ohne Bibliotheksausweis darf man das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen.
Emphasis on the object: Das Wörterbuch darf man ohne Bibliotheksausweis nicht mitnehmen.
Subject first: Man darf ohne Bibliotheksausweis das Wörterbuch nicht mitnehmen. All are correct; word order shifts what’s in focus.