Am Ende des Satzes setze ich einen Punkt.

At the end of the sentence I put a period.

Breakdown of Am Ende des Satzes setze ich einen Punkt.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• an: at
• des: the; (masculine or neuter, genitive)

Questions & Answers about Am Ende des Satzes setze ich einen Punkt.

Why is it Am Ende and not just Ende or something like im Ende?

Am is a contraction of an dem:

• an = at/on
• dem = the (dative, masculine/neuter singular)

So an dem Ende → am Ende.

We use an + dative here because we are talking about a location (where something is), not movement (where something goes).
Im Ende (in dem Ende) would literally be in the end (inside it) and is not idiomatic for “at the end (of something)” in this sense. For positions on a timeline or the edge/limit of something, am Ende is the standard phrase.

Why is it des Satzes and not den Satz or dem Satz?

Des Satzes is in the genitive case. It answers the question “of what?”:

• Ende (end) – of what? → des Satzes (of the sentence)

So the structure is:

• Am Ende – at the end (dative, fixed phrase)
• des Satzes – of the sentence (genitive)

German often uses the genitive for possession or belonging. English uses of instead:

• am Ende des Satzes = at the end of the sentence.

Why does Satz become Satzes in ?