01
Log inSign up

Nach dem langen Wettbewerb bin ich völlig erschöpft.

Nach dem langen Wettbewerb bin ich völlig erschöpft.
After the long competition I am completely exhausted.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning German now

Questions & Answers about Nach dem langen Wettbewerb bin ich völlig erschöpft.

Why is it Nach dem langen Wettbewerb and not Nach der lange Wettbewerb?

Several things are happening here:

  1. The preposition nach

    • nach (in the sense of after in time) always takes the dative case.
    • So the noun phrase that follows must be in dative: dem langen Wettbewerb.

  2. The article in dative singular (masculine)

    • Wettbewerb is masculine: der Wettbewerb (nominative).
    • Masculine dative singular is dem, not der.
    • So we get dem Wettbewerb.

  3. The adjective ending

    • With a definite article in dative singular masculine, the adjective takes -en.
    • So lang becomes langen.
    • Pattern: nach dem langen Wettbewerb = after the long competition.

Summary:

  • nach → dative
  • masculine dative → dem
  • adjective in this position → langen
    So Nach dem langen Wettbewerb is grammatically correct; Nach der lange Wettbewerb breaks both the case and the adjective-ending rules.
Why does nach take the dative case? How do I know that?

In German, prepositions are grouped by the case they govern:

  • Always dative: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber, etc.
  • Always accusative: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, etc.
  • Two-way (dative/accusative): in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, etc.

nach is in the group that always takes the dative case when it means:

  • after (time): nach dem Essen, nach der Schule
  • to(wards) (countries/cities): nach Deutschland, nach Berlin

So, whenever you use nach with a noun, you should automatically switch that noun phrase into dative. That’s why it’s nach dem langen Wettbewerb and not nach der lange Wettbewerb.

Why is it langen Wettbewerb and not lange Wettbewerb?

This is about adjective endings.

The pattern here is:

  • Preposition nach → dative
  • Noun Wettbewerb → masculine
  • Definite article, dative masculine → dem
  • With dem in front, the adjective takes the ending -en

So:

  • Nominative: der lange Wettbewerb (the long competition)
  • Dative: dem langen Wettbewerb (to/after the long competition)

General rule (simplified):
With dem (dative masculine/neuter) or der (dative feminine), an adjective almost always takes the ending -en:

  • mit dem neuen Auto
  • bei der alten Frau
  • nach dem langen Wettbewerb

So langen is required by the combination definite article + dative case.

Why does the sentence start with Nach dem langen Wettbewerb and not with Ich?

German has a strict verb-second (V2) rule in main clauses:

  • The finite verb (here: bin) must be in second position.

What can be in first position? Almost anything: subject, object, time phrase, place phrase, etc. So we can say both:

  1. Ich bin nach dem langen Wettbewerb völlig erschöpft.
    – Subject (Ich) in first position.

  2. Nach dem langen Wettbewerb bin ich völlig erschöpft.
    – Time phrase (Nach dem langen Wettbewerb) in first position, subject moves after the verb.

Both are correct. The version given just emphasizes the time frame (after the long competition). This is a stylistic choice, not a change in meaning.

Why is it bin ich völlig erschöpft and not ich bin völlig erschöpft after the prepositional phrase?

Because of the verb-second rule:

  • A German main clause must have the finite verb in second position.
  • When you put Nach dem langen Wettbewerb in first position, the verb must come next.

So:

  • First position: Nach dem langen Wettbewerb
  • Second position (the verb): bin
  • Then the subject: ich
  • Then the rest of the predicate: völlig erschöpft

The sentence:

  • Nach dem langen Wettbewerb ich bin völlig erschöpft

would break the verb-second rule. The correct patterns are:

  • Ich bin nach dem langen Wettbewerb völlig erschöpft.
  • Nach dem langen Wettbewerb bin ich völlig erschöpft.
What is the nuance of völlig erschöpft? How is it different from just erschöpft or sehr müde?

völlig erschöpft is stronger and more specific than simply being tired.

  • müde = tired (in a general, everyday sense)
  • sehr müde = very tired
  • erschöpft = exhausted (physically or mentally drained)
  • völlig erschöpft = completely / utterly exhausted, with nothing left in the tank

So:

  • Ich bin müde. = I’m tired.
  • Ich bin sehr müde. = I’m very tired.
  • Ich bin erschöpft. = I’m exhausted.
  • Ich bin völlig erschöpft. = I’m totally done; energy is basically at zero.

In context of einen langen Wettbewerb, völlig erschöpft suggests that the competition has pushed you to your limit, not just made you a bit sleepy.

Why is völlig before erschöpft? Could I say ich bin erschöpft völlig?

In German, adverbs that modify adjectives almost always come before the adjective:

  • sehr müde (very tired)
  • ziemlich klein (quite small)
  • total verrückt (totally crazy)
  • völlig erschöpft (completely exhausted)

Putting the adverb after the adjective (erschöpft völlig) sounds ungrammatical or at least very strange in standard German. So:

  • ✅ Ich bin völlig erschöpft.
  • ❌ Ich bin erschöpft völlig.

Think of völlig as part of the adjective phrase völlig erschöpft, and that whole phrase describes ich.

Can I also say Ich bin nach dem langen Wettbewerb völlig erschöpft? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can, and it is perfectly correct:

  • Nach dem langen Wettbewerb bin ich völlig erschöpft.
  • Ich bin nach dem langen Wettbewerb völlig erschöpft.

Both mean the same thing. The difference is focus / emphasis:

  • Starting with Ich is more neutral: you introduce yourself as the topic first.
  • Starting with Nach dem langen Wettbewerb puts more emphasis on the time situation: you highlight when you are exhausted.

In everyday speech, both word orders are very natural.

Why is it bin ich völlig erschöpft and not something like habe ich völlig erschöpft? Why use sein here?

Here, erschöpft is used as an adjective describing your state, not as a verb form:

  • Ich bin erschöpft. = I am exhausted. (state, like I am tired / I am happy )

In German, states and conditions expressed by adjectives use sein:

  • Ich bin müde. (I am tired.)
  • Ich bin krank. (I am ill.)
  • Ich bin hungrig. (I am hungry.)
  • Ich bin erschöpft. (I am exhausted.)

You would use haben with objects or nouns, not with an adjective like this:

  • Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. (I have a headache.)
  • Ich habe Hunger. (I have hunger.) – colloquial alternative to Ich bin hungrig.

So habe ich völlig erschöpft is ungrammatical here. You need bin.

Could the sentence also be in the past, e.g., Nach dem langen Wettbewerb war ich völlig erschöpft? What’s the difference from bin?

Yes, you can say:

  • Nach dem langen Wettbewerb war ich völlig erschöpft.

The difference is time perspective:

  • bin (present):
    You are speaking now, and you are still exhausted now, after the competition.
    → After the long competition, I am (now) completely exhausted.

  • war (preterite / simple past):
    You are talking about a past situation where you were exhausted, but you might not be exhausted anymore now.
    → After the long competition, I was completely exhausted (back then).

Both are grammatically correct; which one you use depends on whether you want to describe your current state or a past one.

What’s the difference between Wettbewerb and Wettkampf? Could I say Nach dem langen Wettkampf instead?

Both Wettbewerb and Wettkampf can be translated as competition, but they have slightly different flavors:

  • Wettbewerb

    • More general.
    • Can be used for many areas: academic, artistic, business, music, design, etc.
    • Example: ein Schreibwettbewerb (writing competition), ein Musikwettbewerb.

  • Wettkampf

    • Sounds more physical/sporty, often used for sports events or physical contests.
    • Example: ein Schwimmwettkampf, ein Leichtathletikwettkampf.

In a sports context, saying:

  • Nach dem langen Wettkampf bin ich völlig erschöpft.

would sound very natural. Grammatically, it works the same way:

  • der Wettkampf → dative: dem Wettkampf
  • lang with dem → langen
    → Nach dem langen Wettkampf
How do I know that Wettbewerb is masculine (der) and not feminine or neuter?

Unfortunately, you mostly have to learn the gender with each noun. Some patterns exist, but they are not 100% reliable.

For Wettbewerb, a helpful hint is the ending -bewerb, which is built from werben (to compete, to solicit), but that doesn’t give you a clear gender rule. So in practice:

  • You learn it as a chunk: der Wettbewerb.
  • When you see forms like dem Wettbewerb, you can infer that it’s likely masculine or neuter dative. Here context (and dictionary) confirm masculine.

A good learning strategy is to always memorize nouns with their article:

  • der Wettbewerb
  • die Schule
  • das Auto

That way, when you meet forms like dem langen Wettbewerb, you know where they come from.