Ich ändere die Signatur in der E-Mail.

I change the signature in the email.

Breakdown of Ich ändere die Signatur in der E-Mail.

• in: in
• ich: I
• die E-Mail: the email
• ändern: to change

Questions & Answers about Ich ändere die Signatur in der E-Mail.

Why is it ich ändere and not ich ändern?

Because ändern is the infinitive, meaning to change. After ich, you need the conjugated form:

• ich ändere = I change / I am changing
• du änderst
• er/sie/es ändert

So in a normal present-tense sentence, German uses the finite verb form, not the infinitive.

Why is it die Signatur?

Signatur is a feminine noun in German, so its basic article is die:

• die Signatur = the signature

That is why the sentence says die Signatur and not der Signatur or das Signatur.

Why is it in der E-Mail and not in die E-Mail?

Because in can take either the accusative or the dative, depending on the meaning.

• accusative: movement into something
• dative: location inside something

Here, the meaning is location: the signature is being changed within the email, not moved into the email. So German uses the dative:

• in der E-Mail = in the email

Since E-Mail is feminine, the dative form of die is der.

Is E-Mail really feminine in German?