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Im Onlinelexikon steht, in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.

Im Onlinelexikon steht, in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.
In the online dictionary it says in which context the idiom is used.
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Questions & Answers about Im Onlinelexikon steht, in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.

Why is it im Onlinelexikon and not something like in das Onlinelexikon or in dem Onlinelexikon?

Im is the contracted form of in dem.

  • Onlinelexikon is neuter: das Onlinelexikon.
  • After in with a static meaning (“in / inside something” as a location), German uses the dative case.
  • So you need in dem Onlinelexikon (dative, neuter, singular).
  • In everyday German, in dem is almost always contracted to im.

So:

  • Full form: In dem Onlinelexikon steht, …
  • Normal spoken/written form: Im Onlinelexikon steht, …

In das Onlinelexikon (accusative) would mean movement into the lexicon, which doesn’t fit here.

Why does the sentence use steht instead of ist? What does Im Onlinelexikon steht … literally mean?

Literally, stehen means “to stand”. But in German it’s very common to use stehen for things that are written somewhere:

  • In dem Buch steht, dass … = “The book says that …” / “It says in the book that …”
  • Auf dem Schild steht „Rauchen verboten“. = “The sign says ‘No smoking’.”

So Im Onlinelexikon steht, … is best translated as something like:

  • “The online encyclopedia says that …”
  • “In the online encyclopedia, it says in which context the expression is used.”

You could grammatically say Im Onlinelexikon ist …, but that would sound odd here; stehen is the natural verb when referring to written information.

Why is there a comma before in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird?

Because in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird is a subordinate clause (a dependent clause). German always separates main and subordinate clauses with a comma.

  • Main clause: Im Onlinelexikon steht
  • Subordinate clause (indirect question): in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird

Structure:

Im Onlinelexikon steht,
in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.

Any time you have an introduced subordinate clause (with dass, weil, obwohl, wenn, wann, wo, wie, warum, in welchem …, etc.), you put a comma before it.

What kind of clause is in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird, and why is the verb at the end?

It’s an indirect question clause (in German: indirekter Fragesatz).

Direct question (main clause word order):

  • In welchem Kontext wird die Redewendung benutzt?
    (“In which context is the expression used?”)

Indirect question (subordinate clause word order):

  • Im Onlinelexikon steht, in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.
    (“The online encyclopedia says in which context the expression is used.”)

In German subordinate clauses, the finite verb goes to the end of the clause:

  • … dass die Redewendung benutzt wird.
  • … weil die Redewendung oft benutzt wird.
  • … in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.

So wird must be at the end here, because this is a subordinate clause.

Why is it welchem and not welcher, welches, or welchen?

Welchem comes from the question word welch- (“which”), which declines for gender, number, and case, like an article/adjective.

We have:

  • Kontext → der Kontext (masculine, singular)
  • Preposition in with a static location (“in which context”) → dative case

So we need: masculine singular dative:

  • welcher – nominative feminine singular / dative feminine singular
  • welches – nominative/accusative neuter singular
  • welchen – accusative masculine singular / dative plural
  • ✅ welchem – dative masculine singular / dative neuter singular

Therefore:

  • in welchem Kontext = “in which context” (dative, masculine, singular)
Why is Kontext in the dative case? How do I know when in takes dative or accusative?

In is a two-way preposition (Wechselpräposition). It can be followed by:

  • Dative = location (answering “where?” → Wo?)
  • Accusative = movement / direction (answering “where to?” → Wohin?)

In this sentence:

  • Meaning: “In which context is the expression used?” → a state/location, not movement.
  • Question in German: In welchem Kontext? (Wo?)
  • So: in
    • dative → in welchem Kontext

More examples:

  • Location (dative):
    • Er arbeitet in dem Büro. (Wo? → dative)
  • Movement (accusative):
    • Er geht in das Büro. (Wohin? → accusative)

Here it’s clearly about the context in which something happens (static situation), so dative is required.

What does die Redewendung do grammatically in the clause, and why is it die?

Redewendung is a feminine noun:

  • Singular nominative: die Redewendung
  • Plural nominative: die Redewendungen

In the subordinate clause:

… in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.

  • die Redewendung is the subject of the passive verb benutzt wird.
  • As the subject, it appears in the nominative case.
  • Feminine nominative singular → die Redewendung.

So grammatically:

  • Subject: die Redewendung (nominative feminine singular)
  • Verb (passive): benutzt wird
  • Prepositional phrase: in welchem Kontext (dative masculine singular)
What tense and voice is benutzt wird, and why is passive used here?

Benutzt wird is present tense passive voice (Präsens Passiv):

  • Active: Jemand benutzt die Redewendung.
    (“Someone uses the expression.”)
  • Passive: Die Redewendung wird benutzt.
    (“The expression is used.”)

Form:

  • werden (conjugated) + past participle (benutzt)

In the subordinate clause:

  • … in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.

The passive is used because the agent (who is using the expression) is not important; the focus is just on the fact that it is used and the context of that use.

A natural translation:
“In which context the expression is used.”

Why is the order benutzt wird and not wird benutzt?

Word order depends on whether it’s a main clause or a subordinate clause.

  • Main clause, passive:

    • Die Redewendung wird (oft) benutzt.
      (finite verb in the second position: wird, then benutzt later)

  • Subordinate clause, passive:

    • …, weil die Redewendung benutzt wird.
    • …, in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.
      (all verbs go to the end; the finite verb comes last)

So in subordinate clauses:

  1. Other elements (subject, objects, adverbs, etc.)
  2. Non-finite verb forms (participles, infinitives) → benutzt
  3. Finite (conjugated) verb → wird

That’s why the correct order is benutzt wird at the end of this subordinate clause.

Can I rephrase the sentence in a simpler way, for example using wie man die Redewendung benutzt? Is that correct?

Yes, you can rephrase it more simply, and your idea is grammatically fine, though the nuance changes slightly.

Original:

  • Im Onlinelexikon steht, in welchem Kontext die Redewendung benutzt wird.
    → Focus on context of use.

Possible simpler variants:

  1. Im Onlinelexikon steht, wie man die Redewendung benutzt.

    • “The online encyclopedia says how you use the expression.”
    • Focus on how to use it (instructions/general use), not specifically on the type of context.

  2. Im Onlinelexikon steht, wann man die Redewendung benutzt.

    • “The online encyclopedia says when you use the expression.”
    • Focus on situations/times where you’d use it.

  3. Im Onlinelexikon steht, in welchem Kontext man die Redewendung benutzt.

    • Same idea as the original, but in active voice (with man) instead of passive:
    • “The online encyclopedia says in which context one uses the expression.”

All of these are correct; the original just chooses a slightly more neutral/formal phrasing with the passive and the noun Kontext.