Auf dem Laptopständer steht mein Laptop höher, sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.

On the laptop stand my laptop is higher, so that I can type more comfortably in the lecture hall.

Breakdown of Auf dem Laptopständer steht mein Laptop höher, sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• stehen: to stand
• können: can
• auf: on
• mein: my
• der Laptop: the laptop
• bequem: comfortably
• im: in the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• hoch: high
• sodass: so that
• der Hörsaal: the lecture hall
• der Laptopständer: the laptop stand
• tippen: to type

Questions & Answers about Auf dem Laptopständer steht mein Laptop höher, sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.

Why is it auf dem Laptopständer and not auf den Laptopständer?

The preposition auf is a two-way preposition (Wechselpräposition). It can take either:

• Accusative = movement onto something
• Dative = location on something

In this sentence, the laptop is already standing on the stand; there is no movement:

• Auf dem Laptopständer steht mein Laptop höher.
  → The laptop is standing on the stand (location) → Dative (dem)

If it were about putting the laptop onto the stand, you’d use the accusative:

• Ich stelle meinen Laptop auf den Laptopständer.
  → I put my laptop onto the stand (movement) → Accusative (den)

What exactly is a Laptopständer, and what is its gender?

Laptopständer is a compound noun:

• Laptop
  • Ständer (stand) → Laptopständer (laptop stand)

The gender of German compound nouns is determined by the last part of the compound:

• der Ständer → so der Laptopständer

So:

• Nominative: der Laptopständer
• Dative: dem Laptopständer → that’s what you see in auf dem Laptopständer.

Plural would be die Laptopständer (no ending change).

Why is it steht mein Laptop and not mein Laptop steht?

German main clauses follow the verb-second rule: the conjugated verb is always in second position, but “position” means slot, not “second word”.

In this sentence:

• Auf dem Laptopständer = position 1 (a prepositional phrase put at the beginning for emphasis)
• steht = position 2 (the finite verb)
• mein Laptop = position 3 (the subject)

So the structure is:

[Auf dem Laptopständer] [steht] [mein Laptop] höher ...

You could also say:

• Mein Laptop steht auf dem Laptopständer höher, sodass ...

That is also correct; it just emphasizes the laptop instead of the stand.

Why do we use steht and not ist for the laptop?

German often uses position verbs instead of just sein (ist) to describe where something is:

• stehen (to stand) – for things in an upright or “standing” position
• liegen (to lie) – for things lying flat
• sitzen (to sit)

Here, a laptop on a stand is conceptualized as standing:

• Mein Laptop steht auf dem Laptopständer.
  → Literally: My laptop stands on the laptop stand.

Using ist:

• Mein Laptop ist auf dem Laptopständer.

is understandable, but less natural in German. Stehen makes the German sound more idiomatic.

What does höher mean here, and what is the basic form?

The basic adjective is hoch = high.

The comparative form is:

• hoch → höher (with vowel change o → ö)

So steht ... höher means:

• literally: stands higher
• in context: is positioned higher / is more elevated

You could also say:

• Mein Laptop steht höher.
• Mein Laptop ist höher positioniert. (more formal)

What is the role of sodass, and why is there a comma before it?

sodass is a subordinating conjunction (like weil, dass, obwohl). It introduces a subordinate clause that expresses a result or consequence:

• ..., sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.
  → ..., so that / with the result that I can type more comfortably in the lecture hall.

Because a subordinate clause follows, you must put a comma before sodass, and the finite verb of that clause goes to the end:

• sodass – introduces the clause
• ich – subject
• im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann – rest of the clause, with kann last

Is there a difference between sodass and so dass?

In modern standard German:

• sodass (one word) is preferred
• so dass (two words) is usually still accepted as an alternative spelling

In everyday meaning, there is no difference here: both express a result/consequence.

So you can write:

• ..., sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann. ✅ (recommended)
• ..., so dass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann. ✅ (still correct)

How is sodass different from damit?

Both can be translated as “so that”, but:

• sodass → expresses a result / consequence
• damit → expresses a purpose / intention

Our sentence:

• Auf dem Laptopständer steht mein Laptop höher, sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.
  → The higher position results in more comfortable typing.

If you used damit:

• Auf dem Laptopständer steht mein Laptop höher, damit ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.

This implies that the purpose of placing it higher is specifically to type more comfortably. That is often logically true, so it’s not wrong, but the nuance is more about intended purpose than simple result.

Why is it im Hörsaal and not in dem Hörsaal?

im is just the contracted form of in dem:

• in + dem = im

So:

• in dem Hörsaal = in the lecture hall
• im Hörsaal = exactly the same meaning, just the normal, shorter form

German regularly contracts:

• in dem → im
• an dem → am
• zu dem → zum
• bei dem → beim etc.

Also, in is another two-way preposition. Here it describes a location (where you type), so it takes the dative:

• im Hörsaal (= in dem Hörsaal, dative)

What exactly does Hörsaal mean, and where is it used?

Hörsaal literally means “hearing hall”, but in modern usage it’s:

• a lecture hall at a university or similar institution

So:

• der Hörsaal = the lecture hall
• im Hörsaal = in the lecture hall

For a normal school classroom, you’d more likely say:

• im Klassenraum / im Klassenzimmer

Why is it bequemer tippen and not something like bequemerweise tippen?

The adjective bequem = comfortable.

Its comparative is:

• bequem → bequemer = more comfortable / more comfortably

In German, adjectives in the comparative can also function adverbially (modifying verbs) without adding a special ending:

• Ich sitze bequemer. = I sit more comfortably.
• Ich tippe bequemer. = I type more comfortably.

So bequemer here is an adverbial comparative modifying tippen.

Bequemerweise exists, but it means more like “conveniently / fortunately”, and sounds more formal or stylistic. It would not be the usual way to say “type more comfortably”.

Why is kann at the very end of sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann?

Because sodass introduces a subordinate clause, and in German subordinate clauses:

• the finite verb (here: kann) goes to the end of the clause.

The clause structure is:

• sodass – subordinating conjunction
• ich – subject
• im Hörsaal – adverbial of place
• bequemer – adverb (comparative)
• tippen – main verb (infinitive)
• kann – finite modal verb, last

So:

sodass – ich – im Hörsaal – bequemer – tippen – kann

This verb-final rule applies to all subordinate clauses with conjunctions like weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, sodass, etc.

Can the word order inside the sodass-clause be changed, for example sodass ich bequemer im Hörsaal tippen kann?

Yes, you have some flexibility in the middle of the clause as long as kann stays at the end. These are all grammatical:

• ..., sodass ich im Hörsaal bequemer tippen kann.
• ..., sodass ich bequemer im Hörsaal tippen kann.

The difference is just slight emphasis:

• im Hörsaal bequemer tippen → slight focus on typing more comfortably in that specific place
• bequemer im Hörsaal tippen → slight focus on the increased comfort when in the lecture hall

Both are perfectly natural; the original version probably sounds a bit smoother.