Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings liegt auf der Aussprache.

The focus of the training is on pronunciation.

Breakdown of Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings liegt auf der Aussprache.

• auf: on
• liegen: to lie
• der: the; (feminine, dative)
• das Training: the training
• des: the; (neuter, genitive)
• der Schwerpunkt: the focus
• die Aussprache: the pronunciation

Questions & Answers about Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings liegt auf der Aussprache.

What does Schwerpunkt mean here, and what is its literal meaning?

Literally, Schwerpunkt is a compound of:

• schwer = heavy
• Punkt = point

So literally it’s a “heavy point” – the point that carries the most “weight”.

Figuratively, it means:

• main focus
• emphasis
• core area / main priority

In this sentence, Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings = the main focus of the training.

Why is it des Trainings and not something like von dem Training?

Des Trainings is the genitive case. In German, some nouns are naturally followed by a genitive to show possession or close connection, and Schwerpunkt is one of them.

Typical pattern:

• der Schwerpunkt + Genitive
  
  • der Schwerpunkt des Trainings = the focus of the training
  • der Schwerpunkt des Kurses = the focus of the course

You could say der Schwerpunkt von dem Training, but:

• It sounds more casual/colloquial.
• In written and more formal German, genitive (des Trainings) is preferred and more idiomatic here.

Which case is des Trainings, and what is the base form of the noun?

Des Trainings is:

• Genitive singular of das Training (neuter noun).

Full declension of das Training with the definite article:

• Nominative: das Training (Das Training ist intensiv.)
• Accusative: das Training (Ich mag das Training.)
• Dative: dem Training (Ich helfe dem Training mit Materialien. – rare structure)
• Genitive: des Trainings (Der Erfolg des Trainings ist groß.)

So des Trainings just shows that the training “owns” or defines the Schwerpunkt.

Why is there an -s at the end of Trainings? Is that a plural?

Here, Trainings is not plural; it’s the genitive singular ending.

For many masculine and neuter nouns in German, the genitive singular adds:

• -s or -es

Examples:

• das Haus → des Hauses
• das Auto → des Autos
• das Training → des Trainings

So in this sentence, Trainings is still one training, just in the genitive case, not the plural.

Is Training countable in German? Can I say “one training, two trainings”?

Yes, Training can be both:

1. Uncountable, like “training” in English:

   • Training ist wichtig. – Training is important.

2. Countable, when referring to sessions:

   • Das Training – the training session
   • zwei Trainings – two training sessions
     (You may also see Trainingssitzungen, Trainingseinheiten, Trainingsstunden, which are more explicit.)

In everyday speech, das Training often refers either to the activity in general or to a specific session (context makes it clear).

Why does the sentence use liegt auf instead of just ist?

The phrase Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf … is an idiomatic expression in German. It literally means:

• “The main focus lies on …”

You could say:

• Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings ist die Aussprache.

That’s grammatically correct and understandable, but:

• liegt auf + Dativ is the standard collocation with Schwerpunkt.
• It emphasizes the idea of the focus resting/being placed on something, which sounds more natural and idiomatic.

So:

• Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings liegt auf der Aussprache.
  = The main focus of the training is on pronunciation.

Why is it auf der Aussprache and not auf die Aussprache?

The preposition auf can take either dative or accusative, depending on the meaning:

• Dative (Wo? – location, no movement):
  • auf der Aussprache – on pronunciation (as an area of focus)
• Accusative (Wohin? – movement, direction):
  • auf die Aussprache – toward pronunciation (movement to something)

In this sentence, the focus “lies on” pronunciation (no movement), so we use:

• auf + Dativ → auf der Aussprache

What case is der Aussprache, and what is the gender of Aussprache?

Der Aussprache here is:

• Dative singular, feminine noun
• Base form: die Aussprache (pronunciation)

Declension with the definite article:

• Nominative: die Aussprache (Die Aussprache ist schwer.)
• Accusative: die Aussprache (Ich übe die Aussprache.)
• Dative: der Aussprache (Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Aussprache.)
• Genitive: der Aussprache (Die Verbesserung der Aussprache ist wichtig.)

So auf der Aussprache combines:

• auf
  • dative → der Aussprache.

Can I change the word order, for example: Auf der Aussprache liegt der Schwerpunkt des Trainings?

Yes, that is perfectly correct German.

Possible word orders:

1. Der Schwerpunkt des Trainings liegt auf der Aussprache.
   (Neutral, very natural.)

2. Auf der Aussprache liegt der Schwerpunkt des Trainings.

   • Emphasis on Aussprache (Pronunciation is what we’re talking about.)

Both are grammatical. German allows flexible word order as long as:

• The conjugated verb (here: liegt) stays in the second position in main clauses.

What is the difference between Aussprache and Sprache?

• die Aussprache = pronunciation
  How you say words: sounds, stress, clarity.

• die Sprache = language, speech
  The whole system of communication: vocabulary, grammar, etc.

Examples:

• Meine Aussprache ist noch nicht perfekt.
  My pronunciation is not perfect yet.

• Ich lerne die deutsche Sprache.
  I’m learning the German language.

In the sentence, Aussprache focuses specifically on how you pronounce words.

How do you pronounce Schwerpunkt and Aussprache?

Approximate pronunciation (in simplified English-like terms):

• Schwerpunkt:

  • Schwer = like “shvair” (German w sounds like English v)
  • punkt = like “poongkt” (short u, clearly pronounced final t)
    Together: “shvair-poongkt”

• Aussprache:

  • Aus = like “ouse” in “house”
  • spra = “shprah” (in German, sp at the beginning sounds like shp)
  • che = “xuh”/“ch” as in the Scottish “loch” or German “Bach”
    Together: “OUSE-shprah-xuh”

Key points:

• German sp at the start of a syllable → “shp”.
• The ch in Aussprache is the hard, back-of-the-throat sound (like “Bach”), not the soft one in ich.