Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.

On the weekend I make up the homework.

Breakdown of Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.

• ich: I
• das Wochenende: the weekend
• die Hausaufgabe: the homework
• am: on
• nachholen: to catch up on

Questions & Answers about Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.

Why does nach go to the end of the sentence?

Because nachholen is a separable verb.

• The infinitive is nachholen = to make up / to catch up on (work, homework, etc.).
• In the present tense main clause, separable verbs split:
  • The prefix (nach) moves to the end of the sentence.
  • The conjugated part (hole) goes in the second position.

So:

• Infinitive: nachholen
• Ich-Form in a main clause: Ich hole … nach.

That’s why we say:

• Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.
  • hole (2nd position)
  • nach (at the very end)

Could I also say „Ich hole die Hausaufgabe am Wochenende nach.“? Is that correct?

Yes, that sentence is also correct.

German word order is fairly flexible. All of these are grammatical:

1. Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.
   – Time element (am Wochenende) is in the first position; it’s emphasized.

2. Ich hole die Hausaufgabe am Wochenende nach.
   – Neutral order: subject first, then object, then time, then separable prefix.

3. Ich hole am Wochenende die Hausaufgabe nach.
   – Also fine; the order of time and object can vary.

The main rules:

• The conjugated verb (hole) must be second.
• The separable prefix (nach) must be last (in a simple main clause).

Why is it „Am Wochenende“ and not something like „Im Wochenende“?

Because German uses the preposition an (contracted to am) for days and parts of days when talking about time.

• an dem Wochenende → am Wochenende
  Literally: on the weekend.

General pattern:

• am Montag – on Monday
• am Abend – in the evening
• am Wochenende – on the weekend

im = in dem, and is used for months, seasons, years, long periods:

• im Januar – in January
• im Sommer – in summer
• im Jahr 2025 – in the year 2025

So: am Wochenende, not im Wochenende.

What case is used in „Am Wochenende“, and why?

Am is the contraction of an dem.

• an can take dative or accusative, but for time expressions like “on Monday / at the weekend,” it takes the dative.
• dem Wochenende = dative singular of das Wochenende.

So:

• das Wochenende (nominative)
• am Wochenende = an dem Wochenende (dative, used as a time adverbial: on the weekend).

What case is „die Hausaufgabe“ here, and why die?

die Hausaufgabe is in the accusative case, because it’s the direct object of the verb holen / nachholen.

• The verb (nach)holen takes a direct object:
  • Ich hole etwas nach. – I make something up.

The noun:

• die Hausaufgabe – feminine singular
  • Nominative: die Hausaufgabe
  • Accusative: die Hausaufgabe (same form for feminine)

So in this sentence, die Hausaufgabe is accusative feminine singular, functioning as the direct object of hole … nach.

Why is it „die Hausaufgabe“ (singular) and not „die Hausaufgaben“ (plural), when in English we just say “homework” without plural?

In German, Hausaufgabe is normally a countable noun:

• die Hausaufgabe – one assignment
• die Hausaufgaben – several assignments / homework in general

English “homework” is mostly uncountable, but German often treats it as countable tasks.

Nuance:

• Ich mache die Hausaufgabe.
  → I’m doing the homework assignment (probably one specific assignment).

• Ich mache die Hausaufgaben.
  → I’m doing my/the homework (assignments) (possibly all of them).

In your sentence:

• die Hausaufgabe nachholen suggests there is one specific assignment that you still have to do.
• If you had several, you might say:
  • Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgaben nach.

What exactly does „nachholen“ mean, and how is it different from „machen“ or „aufholen“?

nachholen means to do something later that you should have done earlier – to make up / catch up on (tasks, missed work, etc.).

• nachholen

  • Ich hole die Hausaufgabe nach.
    → I’m making up the homework (I didn’t do before).

• machen

  • Ich mache die Hausaufgabe.
    → I’m doing the homework (neutral; says nothing about being late).

• aufholen

  • Usually about closing a gap or catching up in a more general sense:
    • Sie holt den Rückstand auf. – She’s catching up (closing the deficit).
    • Ich muss Stoff aufholen. – I need to catch up on material (in a course).

So:

• If you missed an assignment and are doing it late: nachholen.
• If you’re simply doing your current assignment: machen.
• If you’re closing a general gap / being behind: aufholen.

Why do we use the present tense here and not a future form like „werde nachholen“?

German often uses the present tense + a time expression to talk about the future.

• Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.
  → I’ll make up the homework on the weekend.

Using werden + infinitive (Futur I) is grammatically possible but sounds less natural here in everyday speech:

• Am Wochenende werde ich die Hausaufgabe nachholen.
  → Also correct, but often only used for emphasis, predictions, or when the future-ness needs to be stressed.

In typical conversation, the simple present with a clear time phrase (like am Wochenende) is preferred.

Is „Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.“ more formal or less formal than other options?

It’s neutral in style.

• The vocabulary is everyday language.
• The structure is standard written and spoken German.

It would sound natural in:

• spoken conversation
• an email to a teacher
• a written exercise

There’s no strong formal/informal coloring. To make it more casual, context and tone matter more than the grammar here.

What are the principal parts of „nachholen“ (conjugation info I should know)?

nachholen is a regular separable verb.

• Infinitive: nachholen
• Present tense:
  • ich hole nach
  • du holst nach
  • er/sie/es holt nach
  • wir holen nach
  • ihr holt nach
  • sie/Sie holen nach
• Simple past (Präteritum):
  • ich holte nach, du holtest nach, …
• Past participle:
  • nachgeholt

Perfekt example:

• Ich habe die Hausaufgabe nachgeholt.
  → I have made up the homework / I made up the homework.

Why does the sentence start with „Am Wochenende“ instead of „Ich“? Does that change the meaning?

Starting with „Am Wochenende“ is a common way to highlight the time frame.

In German, you can put different elements in position 1 to emphasize them, as long as the verb remains in position 2.

Compare:

• Ich hole die Hausaufgabe am Wochenende nach.
  – Neutral focus on I as the subject.

• Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.
  – Slight emphasis on when this will happen; good if the time is the new or important information.

The basic meaning (I’ll make up my homework on the weekend) stays the same; it’s a shift in emphasis, not in facts.

Could I drop the article and just say „Am Wochenende hole ich Hausaufgabe nach.“?

No, that would sound ungrammatical in standard German.

With Hausaufgabe(n) you normally need an article or another determiner:

• die Hausaufgabe / meine Hausaufgaben / einige Hausaufgaben, etc.

Correct options:

• Am Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.
  – that specific assignment.

• Am Wochenende hole ich meine Hausaufgaben nach.
  – my homework assignments.

Without any article (Hausaufgabe bare) is not natural in this context.

What gender are „Wochenende“ and „Hausaufgabe“?

• das Wochenende – neuter noun
• die Hausaufgabe – feminine noun

You can see this in their dictionary forms:

• das Wochenende, Plural: die Wochenenden
• die Hausaufgabe, Plural: die Hausaufgaben

In the sentence:

• am Wochenende → dative of das Wochenende
• die Hausaufgabe → accusative of die Hausaufgabe (feminine, so form stays die)

Is there any difference between „am Wochenende“ and something like „dieses Wochenende“?

Yes, there’s a nuance:

• am Wochenende
  – Usually means on the weekend in a generic or near-future sense; in context, often “this coming weekend,” but could also be habitual (on weekends in general).

• dieses Wochenende
  – Very clearly this weekend (the upcoming one, or the one just passed, depending on context).

You can combine them too:

• Dieses Wochenende hole ich die Hausaufgabe nach.
  – Clear: this weekend, not some other one.