In jeder Thermosflasche bleibt der Tee lange heiß, auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.

In every thermos the tea stays hot for a long time, even when the wind outside gets stronger.

Breakdown of In jeder Thermosflasche bleibt der Tee lange heiß, auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.

• in: in
• draußen: outside
• bleiben: to remain
• werden: to become
• der Tee: the tea
• der Wind: the wind
• stark: strong
• auch wenn: even when
• heiß: hot
• jeder: every; (feminine, dative)
• die Thermosflasche: the thermos
• lange: for a long time

Questions & Answers about In jeder Thermosflasche bleibt der Tee lange heiß, auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.

Why is it In jeder Thermosflasche and not In jede Thermosflasche?

The preposition in is a “two-way” preposition in German. It can take:

• Dative = location (where something is)
• Accusative = movement (to where something goes)

Here we are talking about where the tea stays, not where it is being put, so it’s about location:

• Wo bleibt der Tee? – In jeder Thermosflasche.
  → Dative is required.

Thermosflasche is feminine:

• Nominative: die Thermosflasche
• Dative: der Thermosflasche

The determiner jede- declines like the article:

• Nominative feminine: jede Thermosflasche
• Accusative feminine: jede Thermosflasche
• Dative feminine: jeder Thermosflasche
• Genitive feminine: jeder Thermosflasche

So with dative feminine we must say jeder Thermosflasche, not jede Thermosflasche.

Why do we say in jeder Thermosflasche and not something like in der jeder Thermosflasche?

In German you normally use either a determiner like jede (every) or a definite article like die/der, but not both together:

• in jeder Thermosflasche = in every thermos flask
• in allen Thermosflaschen = in all thermos flasks

You cannot stack them like in der jeder Thermosflasche.
Compare:

• jede Thermosflasche (every thermos flask)
• die Thermosflasche (the thermos flask)

They fill the same grammatical “slot,” so you pick one.

Why does the sentence start with In jeder Thermosflasche and not with the subject Der Tee?

German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule: the finite verb must be the second element in the sentence, but the first element can be almost anything (subject, object, adverbial phrase, etc.).

Here:

• In jeder Thermosflasche – 1st element (a prepositional phrase)
• bleibt – 2nd element (the finite verb)
• der Tee – 3rd element (the subject)
• lange heiß – rest of the predicate

So the structure is:

[In jeder Thermosflasche] bleibt [der Tee] [lange heiß] …

If you wanted the subject first, you could say:

• Der Tee bleibt in jeder Thermosflasche lange heiß, …

Both are correct; starting with In jeder Thermosflasche simply emphasizes the place.

What is the difference between bleibt heiß and ist heiß here?

• ist heiß = is hot (describes a state at a point in time)
• bleibt heiß = stays/remains hot (emphasizes that the state continues)

In the sentence:

… bleibt der Tee lange heiß …

the verb bleibt is used because the whole point is the maintenance of temperature over time. A thermos flask is designed so the tea does not cool down quickly, it remains hot.

You could say:

• Der Tee ist lange heiß. – The tea is hot for a long time. (correct)
• Der Tee bleibt lange heiß. – The tea stays hot for a long time. (more natural here, because “staying” is the idea)

So bleiben adds the nuance of persistence.

What exactly does lange mean in bleibt der Tee lange heiß?

Here lange is an adverb of time and means “for a long time”.

• lange (adv.) = for a long time
• ein langer Tee – incorrect; lang is normally not used as an adjective for tea

So:

• Der Tee bleibt lange heiß.
  = The tea stays hot for a long time.

You can make it more explicit:

• Der Tee bleibt für lange Zeit heiß.
  (a bit heavier stylistically, but correct)

About word order: lange is placed before the adjective heiß because it actually modifies the duration of the state (how long it stays hot), which is tied to the verb bleibt. The normal order is:

• bleibt lange heiß, not bleibt heiß lange (the latter sounds unusual and marked).

What does auch wenn mean here, and how is it different from just wenn or from obwohl?

In the sentence:

…, auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.

• wenn on its own can mean “when” or “if” (temporal or conditional).
• auch wenn usually corresponds to “even if / even when”.
• obwohl corresponds to “although / even though”.

Nuances:

• wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird
  = when/whenever the wind outside gets stronger

• auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird
  = even when/even if the wind outside gets stronger
  → emphasizes that this doesn’t change the main statement (the tea still stays hot).

• obwohl draußen der Wind stärker wird
  = although the wind outside gets stronger
  → stresses the contrast between expectation (it should cool down) and reality (it stays hot).

In this context, auch wenn highlights: “Even in this unfavorable condition, the tea still stays hot.”

Why does the verb wird go to the end of auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird?

Auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird is a subordinate clause (introduced by the subordinating conjunction wenn).

In German subordinate clauses:

• The finite verb goes to the end.

So the structure is:

• auch wenn – conjunction
• draußen – adverb
• der Wind – subject
• stärker – predicate adjective (comparative of stark)
• wird – finite verb, sent to the end

Compare:

• Main clause: Der Wind wird draußen stärker. (verb in 2nd position)
• Subordinate: …, wenn der Wind draußen stärker wird. (verb at the end)

What does wird stärker mean exactly? Is this the future tense?

Here wird is not a future tense marker. It is werden + adjective, which means “to become/get [adjective]”.

• stark = strong
• stärker = stronger (comparative)
• wird stärker = becomes stronger / gets stronger

So:

… wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.
= when the wind outside gets stronger / becomes stronger.

This is regular present tense, which in German often corresponds to both English present simple and present progressive:

• wird stärker = “gets stronger” / “is getting stronger”

It is not the Futur I here. Future would normally be used for clear future reference, e.g.:

• Der Wind wird stärker werden. – The wind will get stronger. (future)

How is the comparative stärker formed? Why not something like mehr stark?

German generally forms comparatives by:

1. Adding -er to the adjective.
2. Often adding an Umlaut (ä, ö, ü) in one-syllable adjectives with a, o, u.

For stark:

• Positive: stark – strong
• Comparative: stärker – stronger
• Superlative: am stärksten – strongest

You do not say mehr stark for the comparative of stark. That sounds wrong to native speakers.

Some examples:

• kalt → kälter (colder)
• warm → wärmer (warmer)
• groß → größer (bigger)
• schön → schöner (more beautiful)

Only in certain cases (especially long or foreign adjectives) do you use mehr:

• interessant → interessanter (usually)
  or mehr interessant in special emphatic contexts, but interessanter is standard.

What is the function of draußen here, and how is it different from außen or im Freien?

draußen is an adverb meaning “outside / outdoors” (as a place where something happens).

In the sentence:

…, auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.

it tells you where the wind is getting stronger: outside.

Some contrasts:

• draußen – outside, outdoors (general location)

  • Der Hund ist draußen. – The dog is outside.

• außen – on the outside (outer side/surface)

  • Die Flasche ist außen kalt. – The bottle is cold on the outside.

• im Freien – lit. “in the open,” emphasizes open air

  • Wir sitzen im Freien. – We are sitting outdoors (often at a café, garden, etc.).

You could also say:

• … auch wenn der Wind draußen stärker wird.
  (very similar meaning, just a slightly different emphasis in word order)

Why is it der Tee and not just Tee without an article, like in English “tea stays hot …”?

English often uses mass nouns without articles for general statements:

• Tea stays hot in any thermos.

German is different: it very often uses the definite article for specific or generic reference:

• Der Tee bleibt lange heiß.
  = The tea stays hot (the tea we’re talking about / tea in general in this situation).

Two options in German:

1. Der Tee bleibt in jeder Thermosflasche lange heiß.
   – sounds like a general statement about tea under these conditions (quite natural).

2. Tee bleibt in jeder Thermosflasche lange heiß.
   – also possible; sounds a bit more like a bare substance (tea as a material).

Using der Tee is the more typical, natural wording in an example sentence like this.

What can you tell me about the word Thermosflasche (gender, plural, etc.)?

Thermosflasche is a compound noun:

• Thermos (brand name used generically) + Flasche (bottle)

The head noun in German compounds is the last part, which determines:

• gender
• plural form

Here, the head is Flasche, which is:

• Feminine: die Flasche
• Plural: die Flaschen

So for Thermosflasche:

• Singular:

  • Nominative: die Thermosflasche
  • Accusative: die Thermosflasche
  • Dative: der Thermosflasche
  • Genitive: der Thermosflasche

• Plural:

  • Nominative: die Thermosflaschen
  • Accusative: die Thermosflaschen
  • Dative: den Thermosflaschen
  • Genitive: der Thermosflaschen

That’s why the sentence uses jeder Thermosflasche (dative feminine singular).

Are there other natural word orders or variants of this sentence?

Yes, several variants are possible and correct, with slightly different emphasis. For example:

1. Subject first:

   • Der Tee bleibt in jeder Thermosflasche lange heiß, auch wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.

2. Different placement of draußen:

   • … auch wenn der Wind draußen stärker wird.
     (focus slightly more on the wind; draußen just adds where)

3. Without auch (weaker “even” nuance):

   • Der Tee bleibt in jeder Thermosflasche lange heiß, wenn draußen der Wind stärker wird.
     = The tea stays hot when the wind gets stronger outside.
     (auch adds the idea of “even when” / “even if”.)

4. Slight change in the time phrase:

   • Der Tee bleibt in jeder Thermosflasche sehr lange heiß, …
     (sehr lange = for a very long time)

All of these respect the key rules:

• Main clause: finite verb in 2nd position (bleibt).
• Subordinate wenn/auch wenn clause: finite verb (wird) at the end.