Die Kinder bringen den Plan im Garten durcheinander.

the child

Breakdown of Die Kinder bringen den Plan im Garten durcheinander.

• in: in
• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• der Garten: the garden

Questions & Answers about Die Kinder bringen den Plan im Garten durcheinander.

Why is it den Plan and not der Plan or dem Plan?

Because den Plan is the direct object of the verb, so it has to be in the accusative case.

• Plan is a masculine noun in German.
• Masculine singular forms:
  • Nominative (subject): der Plan
  • Accusative (direct object): den Plan
  • Dative (indirect object): dem Plan

In this sentence, it’s the plan that is being messed up, so it’s the direct object:

• Die Kinder – subject (who is doing something?)
• bringen – verb
• den Plan – direct object (what are they messing up?)
• im Garten – where it happens
• durcheinander – how / in what way

So the correct form is den Plan (accusative), not der Plan (nominative) or dem Plan (dative).

What is im Garten grammatically, and why not in den Garten?