Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch.

I write down the house number in the notebook.

Breakdown of Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch.

• ich: I
• im: in the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• das Notizbuch: the notebook
• die Hausnummer: the house number
• notieren: to write down

Questions & Answers about Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch.

Why is it die Hausnummer and not der Hausnummer in this sentence?

Hausnummer is a feminine noun in German.

• Nominative singular: die Hausnummer
• Accusative singular: die Hausnummer
• Dative singular: der Hausnummer
• Genitive singular: der Hausnummer

In the sentence Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch, die Hausnummer is the direct object of the verb notieren, so it must be in the accusative case.

Accusative for feminine nouns looks the same as nominative: die.
Der Hausnummer would be dative and would only be used after certain prepositions or verbs that require dative, e.g. mit der Hausnummer, von der Hausnummer.

What exactly is the difference between notieren, schreiben, and aufschreiben?

All three involve writing, but they have different nuances:

• notieren – to note down, to jot down

  • Slightly more formal.
  • Often used when you quickly write something down so you don’t forget it:
    
    • Ich notiere den Termin. – I’m noting down the appointment.

• schreiben – to write (general)

  • Very broad: letters, essays, words, anything.
  • Ich schreibe einen Brief. – I’m writing a letter.

• aufschreiben – to write down (separable verb)

  • Very close to English write down.
  • More everyday/colloquial than notieren.
  • Ich schreibe die Hausnummer auf. – I write down the house number.

In many contexts you could replace notieren with aufschreiben, but notieren sounds a bit more deliberate or “official”, while aufschreiben is more casual.

Why is it im Notizbuch and not in dem Notizbuch or in das Notizbuch?

1. im = in dem

   • im is simply the contracted form of in dem:
     
     • in dem Notizbuch → im Notizbuch
   • This contraction is very common and sounds more natural in speech and writing.

2. Why dem and not das?

   • Notizbuch is neuter: das Notizbuch (nominative).
   • After in with a location (where something is), German uses the dative case:
     
     • in dem Notizbuch (dative) → im Notizbuch

3. Why not in das Notizbuch?

   • in can take dative (location: where?) or accusative (direction: into where?).
   • in das Notizbuch emphasizes movement into the notebook. You might say:
     
     • Ich schreibe die Hausnummer in das Notizbuch. – Focus on putting it into the notebook.
   • im Notizbuch describes the place where the note ends up / exists:
     
     • Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch. – I note the house number in the notebook (that’s where it is stored).

Both structures are possible with similar meaning, but with notieren, im Notizbuch is very idiomatic.

What case is Notizbuch in, and why?

In im Notizbuch, Notizbuch is in the dative case:

• im = in dem
• dem is the dative singular of the neuter article (das → dem).

The preposition in is being used in a static/location sense here (the house number is stored in the notebook), so it requires the dative:

• Wo? (where?) – im Notizbuch → dative
• If it were direction (Wohin? – into where?), you would use accusative: in das Notizbuch.

Can I change the word order, for example: Ich notiere im Notizbuch die Hausnummer or Im Notizbuch notiere ich die Hausnummer?

Yes, these word orders are possible and grammatically correct. The basic rule:

• The finite verb (notiere) stays in second position in main clauses.
• Other elements (subject, objects, adverbials) can move around for emphasis.

Examples:

1. Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch.

   • Neutral, default order: Subject – Verb – Direct object – Place.

2. Ich notiere im Notizbuch die Hausnummer.

   • Slight emphasis on im Notizbuch as the place where you’re making the note.

3. Im Notizbuch notiere ich die Hausnummer.

   • Stronger emphasis on im Notizbuch (topic/contrast), e.g. “In the notebook I write down the house number (not somewhere else).”

All are correct; the differences are mainly about focus and style.

How would I turn this into a command: “Write down the house number in the notebook!”?

Use the imperative forms of notieren and drop ich:

• du (informal singular):

  • Notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch!

• ihr (informal plural):

  • Notiert die Hausnummer im Notizbuch!

• Sie (formal singular or plural):

  • Notieren Sie die Hausnummer im Notizbuch!

Notice that without ich, Notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch! is clearly an imperative, not I note….

How do I say “I wrote down the house number in the notebook” (past tense)?

Most commonly you’d use the Perfekt (present perfect) in spoken German:

• Ich habe die Hausnummer im Notizbuch notiert.

Structure:

• Auxiliary: haben (conjugated) → ich habe
• Past participle of notieren: notiert
• Word order: auxiliary in 2nd position, participle at the end.

You can also use the Präteritum (simple past), but for notieren it’s less common in everyday speech:

• Ich notierte die Hausnummer im Notizbuch.
  – More likely in written, literary, or formal texts.

Why is Hausnummer written as one word and not Haus Nummer?

German loves compound nouns: several nouns are joined to form one new noun with a specific meaning.

• Haus = house
• Nummer = number
• Hausnummer = the number that identifies a particular house (a specific concept)

Writing Haus Nummer as two words would be unusual and normally incorrect here. It would look like you just put house and number next to each other without forming a proper compound.

Other examples:

• Hand
  • Tuch → Handtuch (towel)
• Auto
  • Schlüssel → Autoschlüssel (car key)

What’s the difference between Notizbuch, Heft, and Block?

All can be used for things you write in, but they’re not identical:

• Notizbuch

  • A notebook (often bound, with a cover).
  • Typically for notes, ideas, personal or work-related information.

• Heft

  • A small exercise book or school notebook, often stapled.
  • Very common for school: Matheheft, Deutschheft.

• Block (often Schreibblock or Notizblock)

  • A pad of paper, often glued at the top so you can tear off pages.
  • Used for quick notes, lists, etc.

In Ich notiere die Hausnummer im Notizbuch, the focus is on a more personal or durable notebook.

Why does ch sound different in ich and Buch?

German has two main ch sounds:

1. Ich-Laut (as in ich)

   • Softer, made further forward in the mouth.
   • Appears after front vowels and consonants: ich, mich, sicher, Kirche, lächeln.

2. Ach-Laut (as in Buch)

   • Harsher, made further back in the throat.
   • Appears after back vowels and au, o, u, a: Buch, Bach, kochen, suchen.

So:

• ich → Ich-Laut
• Buch → Ach-Laut

Same letters, but the surrounding vowels determine which sound you use.