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Ich sehe das Video im Internet.

Ich sehe das Video im Internet.
I watch the video on the internet.
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Questions & Answers about Ich sehe das Video im Internet.

Why is it das Video and not der Video or die Video?

In German, every noun has a grammatical gender that you simply have to learn with the word:

  • der = masculine
  • die = feminine
  • das = neuter

Video is neuter, so in the dictionary you’ll see it as das Video.

In this sentence Video is a direct object (the thing being seen), so it’s in the accusative case. The good news: for neuter nouns, the article das stays das in accusative:

  • Nominative: das Video (subject)
  • Accusative: das Video (object)

So das Video is correct here.

How can I know that Video is neuter (das)?

German gender is mostly not logical; you learn it with each noun. Some tips:

  1. Always learn a noun with its article:

    • das Video, die Tasche, der Computer

  2. In dictionaries you’ll often see an abbreviation:

    • Video, das or Video (n.)

  3. Some endings help (e.g. -chen, -lein, -ment are usually neuter), but Video is just a loanword and must be memorized as das Video.

There’s no reliable rule that tells you “Video must be neuter”; it’s part of the word’s dictionary form.

Why is it ich sehe and not ich sehen?

German verbs change their ending depending on the subject (who is doing the action). The infinitive is sehen (“to see”), but for ich (I) you conjugate it:

  • ich sehe – I see
  • du siehst – you (singular, informal) see
  • er/sie/es sieht – he/she/it sees
  • wir sehen – we see
  • ihr seht – you (plural, informal) see
  • sie/Sie sehen – they / you (formal) see

So with ich, the correct form is sehe, not sehen.

Does ich sehe mean “I see” or “I am seeing / I am watching”?

It can mean all of those, depending on context.

German usually uses one present tense (ich sehe) where English has two:

  • ich sehe das Video
    • “I see the video.”
    • “I am seeing the video.”
    • Very often actually: “I’m watching the video.”

The exact English translation depends on the situation and what sounds natural in English, but German doesn’t change its verb form for this.

Why is it im Internet and not in dem Internet?

im is simply the contracted form of in dem:

  • in (in) + dem (dative article for neuter singular) → im

So:

  • in dem Internet = “in the Internet”
  • In normal speech and writing this becomes im Internet.

This contraction is very common:

  • in dem Haus → im Haus (in the house)
  • an dem Tisch → am Tisch (at the table)
Why is Internet in the dative case after im?

The full form of im is in dem. The preposition in can take either dative or accusative:

  • in + dative = location (where something is)
  • in + accusative = direction (movement to somewhere)

In this sentence, im Internet describes where the video is being watched, not movement:

  • Wo sehe ich das Video? – im Internet (location → dative)

Internet is neuter (das Internet), and the dative form is dem Internet, which contracts to im Internet.

Why do we say im Internet instead of am Internet or auf dem Internet?

This is mostly idiomatic usage: Germans say im Internet (literally: “in the Internet”) as the standard expression.

  • im Internet = on/over the Internet (idiomatic “on the internet”)
  • am Internet is not idiomatic and sounds wrong.
  • auf dem Internet is also not used.

You can use other expressions in different contexts:

  • im Netz – “on the net” (colloquial)
  • im WLAN – in the Wi-Fi
  • auf YouTube – on YouTube
  • auf der Website – on the website

But for the general concept, im Internet is the normal phrase.

Why is Internet capitalized in German?

In German, all nouns are capitalized, no matter if they are common nouns or proper names. Internet is a noun (das Internet), so it must begin with a capital letter.

Compare:

  • das Haus – the house
  • die Stadt – the city
  • das Internet – the internet

Even if English sometimes writes internet in lowercase, German always writes Internet with a capital I.

Can I say Ich sehe das Video online instead of im Internet?

Yes, that’s possible and understandable:

  • Ich sehe das Video online.
  • Ich sehe das Video im Internet.

Both are okay. Nuances:

  • online is a borrowed adverb from English and is widely used in German.
  • im Internet sounds slightly more neutral/standard as a full German phrase.

In everyday speech, you might also hear:

  • Ich schaue mir das Video online an. (with anschauen, “to watch”)
What is the difference between sehen, schauen, and anschauen?

All involve using your eyes, but they’re used a bit differently:

  • sehen – to see (general), also used for “to watch”:

    • Ich sehe das Video. – I (am) watch(ing) the video.

  • schauen – to look, to watch (more common in southern Germany/Austria):

    • Ich schaue das Video.

  • anschauen / ansehen – to look at, to watch (more clearly “on purpose”):

    • Ich schaue mir das Video an.
    • Ich sehe mir das Video an.

For “watching a video/film”, many Germans prefer (an)schauen or (an)sehen with mir:

  • Ich schaue mir das Video im Internet an.
  • Ich sehe mir das Video im Internet an.
Could I change the word order to Ich sehe im Internet das Video?

Yes, that word order is grammatically correct, but less neutral. Word order in German main clauses is relatively flexible, and you can move elements for emphasis.

  • Ich sehe das Video im Internet.

    • Neutral; just states the fact.

  • Ich sehe im Internet das Video.

    • Sounds like the focus is more on “das Video” in contrast to something else (maybe not the picture, but the video).

In everyday speech, Ich sehe das Video im Internet is the most natural version.

Can I start the sentence with Das Video: Das Video sehe ich im Internet?

Yes. German main clauses follow the verb-second rule: the finite verb (here sehe) must be in second position, but the first position can be something other than the subject:

  • Ich sehe das Video im Internet. (subject first)
  • Das Video sehe ich im Internet. (object first)

Meaning is the same, but Das Video sehe ich im Internet puts extra emphasis on “das Video”, like:

  • “As for the video, I watch it on the internet.”
Why is it das Video (the video) and not ein Video (a video)?

Using das vs ein is about whether the speaker thinks the listener already knows which video is meant:

  • Ich sehe das Video im Internet.

    • “I’m watching the video on the internet.”
    • A specific video: maybe both speakers know it (a particular clip, an assignment video, etc.).

  • Ich sehe ein Video im Internet.

    • “I’m watching a video on the internet.”
    • Any video; not a specific one known to the listener.

So das indicates something definite/specific, just like the in English.

How would this sentence change with other subjects, like “we” or “he”?

Only the verb form sehe changes; the rest stays the same:

  • Ich sehe das Video im Internet. – I see the video on the internet.
  • Du siehst das Video im Internet. – You see the video on the internet.
  • Er sieht das Video im Internet. – He sees the video on the internet.
  • Sie sieht das Video im Internet. – She sees the video on the internet.
  • Wir sehen das Video im Internet. – We see the video on the internet.
  • Ihr seht das Video im Internet. – You (plural) see the video on the internet.
  • Sie sehen das Video im Internet. – They / You (formal) see the video on the internet.

The object das Video and the phrase im Internet don’t change with the subject here.

Why does ich start with a lowercase letter, but Video and Internet are capitalized?

German capitalization rules:

  • Nouns and words used as nouns → capitalized
    • das Video, das Internet
  • Pronouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. → not capitalized (except at the beginning of a sentence or for polite Sie/Ihr)

So in the middle of a sentence:

  • ich sehe – pronoun and verb → lowercase
  • das Video, im Internet – nouns → uppercase letters for Video and Internet.