Breakdown of Ich trage heute denselben Pullover wie gestern.
ich
I
heute
today
Gestern
yesterday
tragen
to wear
Questions & Answers about Ich trage heute denselben Pullover wie gestern.
Why is it denselben Pullover and not derselbe Pullover?
Because Pullover is the direct object of tragen, and tragen takes the accusative case.
- der Pullover = nominative
- den Pullover = accusative
The word derselbe changes its form to match the noun, so:
- derselbe Pullover = nominative masculine
- denselben Pullover = accusative masculine
So in this sentence, Ich is doing the action, and denselben Pullover is what is being worn.
What exactly does denselben mean?
denselben comes from derselbe, which means the same.
In this sentence, it means the speaker is wearing the very same sweater, not just a similar one.
A useful distinction is:
- derselbe Pullover = the same sweater, the identical physical item
- der gleiche Pullover = an identical/similar sweater of the same type
In everyday spoken German, people often use derselbe and der gleiche less strictly than grammar books suggest, but the traditional difference is still good to know.
Why is there no separate article before Pullover?