Learn Hardcore German: In der Pause spielen die Kinder auf dem Pausenhof. - During the break the children play in the schoolyard.

dative after in when we talk about time or a static location (no movement):
- in der Pause = during the break
accusative after in when there is movement into something:
- in die Pause gehen = to go into the break (to start the break)

In this sentence, the action (playing) happens during the break, so we use dative: in der Pause.

Why is the verb spielen in second position even though the sentence starts with In der Pause?

German main clauses follow the verb-second rule (V2):

Exactly one element (word or phrase) comes first.
The finite verb comes second.
The subject doesn’t have to be first.

Here:

In der Pause → first element (a prepositional phrase)
spielen → finite verb in second position
die Kinder → subject
auf dem Pausenhof → another prepositional phrase

So the structure is: [Time] – [Verb] – [Subject] – [Place].
You could also say Die Kinder spielen in der Pause auf dem Pausenhof, which still keeps the verb in second position.

Could I also say Die Kinder spielen in der Pause auf dem Pausenhof? Is there any difference?

Yes, that sentence is also correct. The difference is in emphasis and flow, not in basic meaning.

In der Pause spielen die Kinder auf dem Pausenhof.
→ Emphasizes the time first: As for during break… that’s when the kids play in the schoolyard.
Die Kinder spielen in der Pause auf dem Pausenhof.
→ Neutral, subject-first order: The children play in the schoolyard during break.

Both are natural. German often puts time information early, but moving it to the very front adds a bit of focus to it.

Why is it auf dem Pausenhof and not im Pausenhof?

Because of how German thinks about locations:

auf (+ dative) = on / on the premises of / at (open areas, surfaces, certain public places)
- auf dem Pausenhof = in the schoolyard (literally: on the schoolyard area)
in (+ dative) = in / inside (enclosed spaces, rooms, buildings)
- im Klassenzimmer = in the classroom
- in der Schule = in the school (building, institution)

A Hof is an open courtyard / yard, so you are auf dem Hof, not im Hof in standard usage.
So auf dem Pausenhof is the idiomatic expression.

Why dem Pausenhof and not den Pausenhof?

Because dem is dative singular masculine, and that’s the case required here.

der Hof = nominative singular masculine
den Hof = accusative singular masculine
dem Hof = dative singular masculine

Pausenhof ends in -hof and its base noun Hof is masculine:

Nominative: der Pausenhof
Dative: dem Pausenhof

The preposition auf here expresses a static location (“on the yard”), so it takes the dative: auf dem Pausenhof.
We’d use auf den Pausenhof (accusative) only for movement onto the yard, e.g. Die Kinder laufen auf den Pausenhof.

How do I know when in and auf take dative or accusative?

in and auf are two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen).
Rule of thumb:

Dative = Where? (location, state, time)
- in der Pause (when? during the break)
- im Zimmer (where? in the room)
- auf dem Pausenhof (where? on the schoolyard)
Accusative = Where to? (direction, movement into/onto)
- in die Schule gehen (go to school – into it)
- auf den Pausenhof laufen (run onto the schoolyard)

In this sentence we are describing where/when the playing happens, not where the children are moving to, so we use dative.

Why is Kinder the subject and not Pause or Pausenhof?

The subject in German is the element in the nominative case that agrees with the verb.

die Kinder is nominative plural → verb form spielen (3rd person plural)
in der Pause has der Pause in dative → can’t be subject
auf dem Pausenhof has dem Pausenhof in dative → also not subject

So die Kinder is the subject (the ones who are playing), and the verb form spielen matches that plural subject.

Why is the verb spielen and not spielt, when in English we say “the child plays”?

Because Kinder is the plural of Kind.

Singular: das Kind spielt – the child plays
Plural: die Kinder spielen – the children play

German, like English, has a different verb ending for 3rd person singular vs 3rd person plural:

er / sie / es spielt
sie (plural) spielen

So die Kinder needs the plural form spielen.

Why are Pause, Kinder, and Pausenhof capitalized?

Because in German all nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in the sentence.

die Pause → noun
das Kind / die Kinder → noun
der Pausenhof → noun (a compound noun)

This is a basic spelling rule: if it is a noun, it starts with a capital letter.

What exactly is Pausenhof? Is it a compound word?

Yes, Pausenhof is a compound noun:

die Pause = the break
der Hof = the courtyard / yard

Together: der Pausenhof = the schoolyard or playground area where students spend their breaks.

Grammar details:

Gender: masculine → der Pausenhof
Plural: die Pausenhöfe

Meaning-wise, it’s very close to Schulhof (“schoolyard”), often used interchangeably.

What is the difference between Pausenhof and Schulhof?

Both usually refer to the same physical area at a school.

der Pausenhof
→ literally “break yard”; emphasizes that it is used during breaks.
der Schulhof
→ “school yard”; neutral term for the yard belonging to a school.

In everyday speech, many people treat them as synonyms, though usage can vary by region and by individual schools.

Could I leave out auf dem Pausenhof and just say In der Pause spielen die Kinder?

Yes, that is grammatically correct:

In der Pause spielen die Kinder.
→ During the break, the children play.

You simply lose the location information. It no longer specifies where they play, only when they play.

What’s the difference between in der Pause and während der Pause?

Both are correct and very similar in meaning:

in der Pause
→ very common, neutral: during the break
während der Pause
→ slightly more formal/literary, literally “during the break” or “while the break is on”

Grammar:

in
- dative: in der Pause
während
- genitive (standard): während der Pause
  (here der is genitive singular feminine of die Pause)

In everyday spoken German, in der Pause is more frequent.

Is there a rule for the order of in der Pause and auf dem Pausenhof in the sentence?

A common guideline in German is the TMP rule (Time – Manner – Place) for adverbials:

Time → In der Pause
Place → auf dem Pausenhof

So a very natural order (after the verb and subject) is:

Die Kinder spielen in der Pause auf dem Pausenhof.

When you put something at the beginning for emphasis (here: In der Pause), that phrase takes the first position, but the relative order of time/place after the verb often still follows the Time–Place tendency:

In der Pause spielen die Kinder auf dem Pausenhof.
(Time → Verb → Subject → Place)

Other orders are possible but may sound marked or unusual in everyday speech.

Can I say In der Pause spielen auf dem Pausenhof die Kinder?

Yes, that is grammatically correct, but the word order is unusual and sounds quite marked/poetic in modern everyday German.

Normal: In der Pause spielen die Kinder auf dem Pausenhof.
Marked: In der Pause spielen auf dem Pausenhof die Kinder.

The marked version puts extra emphasis on die Kinder at the end, almost as if contrasting them with someone else (it’s the children who are playing there). You would rarely hear this in casual speech.

Could Pause here mean any break or specifically a school break?

On its own, die Pause can mean:

a school break (recess)
a work break (coffee break, lunch break)
an interval in a performance (theater, concert)

In this sentence, Pausenhof (schoolyard) makes the context clearly school-related, so die Pause here is understood as a school break.