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Schau bitte nach, ob mein Schlüssel noch im Kofferraum liegt.

Schau bitte nach, ob mein Schlüssel noch im Kofferraum liegt.
Please check whether my key is still in the trunk.
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Questions & Answers about Schau bitte nach, ob mein Schlüssel noch im Kofferraum liegt.

Why is nach at the end of Schau bitte nach?

Because nachschauen is a separable-prefix verb: nach- + schauen.
In many main-clause contexts (including the imperative), the prefix splits off and goes to the end:

  • Schau … nach. (imperative)
  • Ich schaue … nach. (present)
    But in subordinate clauses or infinitives it stays attached:
  • …, weil ich nachschaue.
  • …, nachzuschauen.
Why is it Schau and not Schauen or Schauen Sie?

Schau is the informal singular imperative (talking to one person: du).
Other options:

  • Informal plural (ihr): Schaut bitte nach …
  • Formal (Sie): Schauen Sie bitte nach …
What exactly does bitte do here, and where can it go?

bitte softens the command and makes it polite. It’s very flexible in placement:

  • Schau bitte nach, … (very common)
  • Schau nach, bitte, … (also possible, slightly more “added on”)
  • Bitte schau nach, … (more emphatic: “please” up front)
Why is there a comma before ob?

Because ob mein Schlüssel … liegt is a subordinate clause, and German normally separates subordinate clauses from the main clause with a comma:

  • Schau bitte nach, ob …
What does ob mean grammatically, and how is it different from wenn?

ob introduces an indirect yes/no question (whether/if). It’s used after verbs like nachschauen, wissen, fragen, prüfen:

  • Schau nach, ob … = “check whether …”

wenn usually means if/when in the sense of a condition or time:

  • Wenn du Zeit hast, schau nach. (If/When you have time, check.)

So: ob = whether, wenn = if/when (condition/time).

Why does the verb go to the end in ob mein Schlüssel noch im Kofferraum liegt?

In German subordinate clauses, the conjugated verb typically goes to the end.
That’s why you get:

  • … ob mein Schlüssel … liegt. (verb-final)

In a main clause it would be:

  • Mein Schlüssel liegt noch im Kofferraum.
What does noch mean here, and why is it placed there?

noch here means still (the key is still in the trunk, i.e., it hasn’t been removed yet).
Its placement is typical: it often sits near what it modifies, commonly in the “middle field” before the location:

  • … ob mein Schlüssel noch im Kofferraum liegt.

You could move it for emphasis, but the given position sounds natural and neutral.

Why is it im Kofferraum and not in den Kofferraum?

Because this describes a location (where it is), not motion.
With in:

  • in + dative = location (no movement): im Kofferraum (= in dem Kofferraum)
  • in + accusative = destination/movement: in den Kofferraum (“into the trunk”)

So liegt im Kofferraum is correct for “is lying in the trunk.”

Why use liegt instead of ist?

German often uses position verbs for where something is:

  • liegen (lie) for things that are lying/flat or simply “resting” somewhere (keys, papers, bags, etc.)
  • stehen (stand) for upright things (bottles, people)
  • hängen (hang) for hanging things (pictures, coats)

You can say ist im Kofferraum, but liegt im Kofferraum is more idiomatic and descriptive for an object like a key.

Why is it mein Schlüssel (not meinen or meinem)?

Because mein Schlüssel is the nominative subject of liegt.
Schlüssel is masculine (der Schlüssel), so:

  • Nominative: mein Schlüssel liegt …
  • Accusative would be: Ich sehe meinen Schlüssel.
  • Dative would be: mit meinem Schlüssel

In the sentence, mein Schlüssel is “the thing that is lying (somewhere),” so nominative is required.

Is Schlüssel singular or plural here? How would it change in the plural?

Here it’s singular: mein Schlüssel.
Plural would be:

  • Schau bitte nach, ob meine Schlüssel noch im Kofferraum liegen.

Changes:

  • mein → meine (plural)
  • liegt → liegen (verb agrees with plural subject)
Are there other natural ways to say the same thing in German?

Yes, common alternatives include:

  • Sieh bitte nach, ob … (same meaning; sehen as the base verb)
  • Schau mal nach, ob … (mal makes it sound casual)
  • Kannst du bitte nachschauen, ob …? (more like a polite request than a direct imperative)