Breakdown of Am Wochenende plane ich mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen.
Questions & Answers about Am Wochenende plane ich mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen.
Am is a contraction of an dem, and im is a contraction of in dem.
For time expressions, German normally uses an + dative with:
- parts of the week: am Montag, am Abend, am Wochenende
- some holidays: am Weihnachten (in some regions), am Ostersonntag
We usually do not say im Wochenende for “on/at the weekend.”
Im is used more with:
- months: im Januar
- seasons: im Sommer
- longer time periods: im 18. Jahrhundert
So Am Wochenende is the idiomatic choice for “at/on the weekend.”
Am = an + dem (preposition + definite article in dative singular).
- an can mean “on / at” when talking about time.
- Wochenende is neuter: das Wochenende.
- Dative neuter singular of das is dem.
So grammatically:
- an dem Wochenende → contracted to am Wochenende
The preposition an (in this temporal meaning) always takes the dative case, so dem (not das) is required.
German main clauses follow the verb-second rule (V2 rule):
- The finite verb (here: plane) must be in second position in the clause.
- “Second position” means second sentence element, not second word.
In the sentence:
- Am Wochenende = 1st element (a time phrase)
- plane = 2nd element (the conjugated verb)
- ich … = 3rd element (the subject)
So the correct order is: Am Wochenende plane ich …
Am Wochenende ich plane … breaks the V2 rule because the verb is not in the second position.
Yes, that version is also correct:
- Ich plane am Wochenende mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen.
Both sentences mean the same thing. The difference is emphasis:
Am Wochenende plane ich…
Emphasis is a bit more on when you’re planning it (the weekend is in focus).Ich plane am Wochenende…
More neutral; the subject ich comes first, like in English.
German allows some flexibility in word order, as long as the finite verb is in second position. Moving Am Wochenende to the front mainly changes the focus, not the basic meaning.
The preposition mit always takes the dative case.
- Gruppe is feminine: die Gruppe.
- Dative feminine singular of the indefinite article eine is einer.
Declension of eine (feminine):
- Nominative: eine Gruppe (subject)
- Accusative: eine Gruppe (direct object)
- Dative: einer Gruppe (after mit, zu, bei, etc.)
- Genitive: einer Gruppe
Because of mit:
- mit + dative → mit einer Gruppe
So mit eine Gruppe (nominative/accusative) and mit einen Gruppe (wrong gender & case) are incorrect.
Kurs is masculine: der Kurs (the course).
In the sentence, einen Kurs is the direct object of plane (what are you planning? → a course), so it must be in the accusative case.
Masculine ein in singular:
- Nominative: ein Kurs (subject)
- Accusative: einen Kurs (direct object)
- Dative: einem Kurs
- Genitive: eines Kurses
Since it’s a direct object:
- Ich plane (was?) einen Kurs. → Accusative → einen Kurs is correct.
im = in + dem (dative).
Bergsteigen here is a noun made from a verb (a nominalized infinitive), meaning “mountain climbing” as an activity.
So literally:
- einen Kurs im Bergsteigen = “a course in mountain climbing”
Why this structure?
in + dative is a normal way in German to describe the field or subject of a course:
- ein Kurs im Tanzen (a course in dancing)
- ein Kurs im Kochen (a course in cooking)
- ein Kurs im Programmieren (a course in programming)
You can’t simply put the bare infinitive after Kurs the way you often can in English:
- a course mountain climbing ❌ (also sounds wrong in English)
- You need something like im Bergsteigen or a compound noun.
Other natural options in German:
- einen Bergsteigerkurs (a mountaineering course)
- einen Kurs im Bergsteigen machen (to take a course in mountain climbing)
Here, Bergsteigen is a noun formed from the verb bergsteigen (“to climb mountains”).
Clues:
It’s capitalized: Bergsteigen, not bergsteigen.
In German, all nouns are capitalized.It follows a preposition + article construction:
- im Bergsteigen = in dem Bergsteigen (dative)
- Preposition + article + word → strongly suggests a noun.
The meaning is “the activity of mountain climbing,” not an action in a sentence.
German often turns verbs into nouns (nominalized infinitives) to talk about activities in general:
- das Schwimmen – swimming (the activity)
- das Lesen – reading
- das Schreiben – writing
- das Bergsteigen – mountain climbing
So here Bergsteigen is a noun, which is why it is capitalized.
The article is already there, just contracted:
- im = in + dem, and dem is the article.
Full form (not used in normal speech):
in dem Bergsteigen
Contracted (standard):im Bergsteigen
You would not say im dem Bergsteigen. That would double the article (in the the mountain climbing).
That sentence is grammatically correct, just a different construction.
Two main options:
Transitive use of planen (as in your original):
- Ich plane mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen.
Here, einen Kurs is the direct object of plane.
- Ich plane mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen.
Infinitive clause with zu:
- Ich plane, mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen zu machen.
Literally: “I am planning to do a course in mountain climbing with a group.”
- Ich plane, mit einer Gruppe einen Kurs im Bergsteigen zu machen.
Both are fine. Style notes:
- The version without zu is shorter and a bit more direct.
- The version with zu machen focuses more on the action of taking the course, not just on the course as a plan.
German often uses the present tense + time expression to talk about future plans, much like English does:
- Am Wochenende plane ich … = “I’m planning … this weekend.”
- Nächste Woche fahre ich nach Berlin. – “I’m going to Berlin next week.”
The future tense with werden (ich werde planen) is usually only used when:
- you predict something, or
- you want to make the futurity very explicit.
Here, just like in English “I’m planning…” or “I plan…”, the present tense is the natural choice.