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Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen.

Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen.
The children can run around in the garden.
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Questions & Answers about Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen.

Why is the verb können in the second position and herumlaufen at the end of the sentence?

In German, in a main clause the conjugated verb must be in the second position. Here, können is the conjugated verb, so it goes in position 2:

  • Die Kinder (position 1 – subject)
  • können (position 2 – conjugated verb)
  • im Garten (middle field)
  • herumlaufen (non‑conjugated/full verb at the end)

When you have a modal verb (like können, müssen, dürfen, wollen, sollen) plus another verb, the main action verb (here: herumlaufen) usually goes to the end in infinitive form.

What kind of verb is können, and what does it add to the meaning?

Können is a modal verb. Modal verbs express things like ability, possibility, permission, necessity, or desire.

  • laufen = to run
  • herumlaufen = to run/walk around
  • können herumlaufen = can / are able to run around (or are allowed to, depending on context)

So the children are able (or possibly allowed) to run around in the garden. English also uses “can” in this way, so the function is very similar.

What is herumlaufen exactly? Is herum a separate word?

Herumlaufen is a separable prefix verb: herum- + laufen.

  • herum = around (in a somewhat aimless, moving-around way)
  • laufen = to run / (often in everyday speech) to walk

In the infinitive form and in some tenses, it appears as one word: herumlaufen.
In the present tense without a modal, the prefix separates:

  • Die Kinder laufen im Garten herum.
    (verb in position 2: laufen; prefix at the end: herum)

With a modal verb the infinitive stays together and moves to the end:

  • Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen.
What’s the difference between laufen and herumlaufen?
  • laufen by itself means to run (or, in many everyday contexts in German, just to walk / move on foot).
  • herumlaufen adds the idea of moving around without a fixed path or goal—“to run around / walk around”.

So:

  • Die Kinder können im Garten laufen.
    → The children can run in the garden. (focus on the action of running)

  • Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen.
    → The children can run/walk around in the garden. (focus on moving around freely in the area)

Why is it im Garten and not in dem Garten?

Im is just the contracted form of in dem.

  • in (preposition) + dem (dative article, masculine/neuter singular)
    → im

Garten is a masculine noun (der Garten). When in expresses location (“in the garden”), it takes the dative case:

  • der Garten (nominative)
  • dem Garten (dative)
  • in dem Garten = im Garten

Both in dem Garten and im Garten are grammatically correct; im Garten is just more natural.

Why is the article die in die Kinder? Why not den or dem?

Die Kinder is the subject of the sentence, so it must be in the nominative case.

  • Kinder is the plural of das Kind (child).
  • All plural nouns in the definite nominative use die:
    • die Kinder (the children)
    • die Hunde (the dogs)
    • die Häuser (the houses)

Den and dem are used in other cases (accusative or dative), but here we need nominative plural, so die Kinder is correct.

What case is Garten in, and why?

Garten is in the dative case: im Garten = in dem Garten.

The preposition in can take dative (location) or accusative (movement into).
Here we have location (“in the garden” as a place where the children move around), so we use dative:

  • Wo? (Where?) → im Garten → dative
  • Wohin? (To where?) → in den Garten (into the garden) → accusative

So im Garten answers Where are they (running around)? not Where are they going?

How would the sentence change in the singular?

For one child, you need the singular forms:

  • Das Kind kann im Garten herumlaufen.

Changes:

  • Das instead of die (singular neuter article)
  • Kind instead of Kinder
  • kann instead of können (3rd person singular of können)

Verb forms of können (present tense):

  • ich kann
  • du kannst
  • er/sie/es kann
  • wir können
  • ihr könnt
  • sie/Sie können
Could I also say Im Garten können die Kinder herumlaufen? Is the word order still correct?

Yes, that is perfectly correct:

  • Im Garten können die Kinder herumlaufen.

Now Im Garten is in the first position to emphasize the location. The conjugated verb können must still be in second position, so die Kinder moves after it.

Both are correct:

  • Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen. (neutral / focus on “die Kinder”)
  • Im Garten können die Kinder herumlaufen. (slightly stronger focus on “in the garden”)
What’s the difference between können and dürfen here? Could I say Die Kinder dürfen im Garten herumlaufen?

Yes, you can, but the meaning changes slightly:

  • können = can / be able to (ability, possibility; sometimes also “can” as permission in everyday speech)
  • dürfen = may / be allowed to (permission)

So:

  • Die Kinder können im Garten herumlaufen.
    → The children can run around in the garden (they are able/it’s possible; often understood as “they are allowed to” in context).

  • Die Kinder dürfen im Garten herumlaufen.
    → The children are allowed to run around in the garden (more explicitly about permission).

In careful usage, dürfen is the better verb when you want to highlight permission.

How would I say this in the past tense?

Using können in the simple past (Präteritum):

  • Die Kinder konnten im Garten herumlaufen.
    → The children could run around in the garden.

Or with Perfekt (more common in spoken German):

  • Die Kinder haben im Garten herumlaufen können.

Here:

  • haben is the auxiliary, conjugated
  • herumlaufen können (main verb + modal) go to the end in infinitive form

Both are correct; konnten is often simpler and more common in writing.