Im Bad liegt eine Bürste neben dem Waschbecken, und der Schwamm ist schon ganz nass.

German main clauses follow the verb-second rule: the finite verb must come in the second position.

So both of these are correct:

• Eine Bürste liegt im Bad.
• Im Bad liegt eine Bürste.

In the sentence you were given, Im Bad is placed first to set the scene. Once that happens, the verb liegt must come next, and the subject eine Bürste comes after it.

So the pattern is:

• Im Bad = first element
• liegt = verb in second position
• eine Bürste = subject

This kind of word order is very common in German.

Im is a contraction of in dem.

• in = in
• dem = the, in the dative case
• im = in dem

So im Bad literally means in the bathroom.

German uses this contraction very often, and it is usually the normal form. You could say in dem Bad, but that would usually sound more emphatic or specific.

Both phrases describe location rather than movement.

German often uses different cases depending on whether something is:

• where it is → dative
• where it is going → accusative

Here:

• im Bad = in the bathroom
• neben dem Waschbecken = next to the sink

Nothing is moving, so German uses the dative.

Compare:

• Die Bürste liegt neben dem Waschbecken. = The brush is lying next to the sink.
• Ich lege die Bürste neben das Waschbecken. = I put the brush next to the sink.

In the second sentence, there is movement toward that position, so neben takes the accusative.

German often prefers more specific verbs for position:

• liegen = to lie
• stehen = to stand
• sitzen = to sit
• hängen = to hang

A brush is thought of as lying somewhere, so liegt sounds natural.

• Eine Bürste liegt neben dem Waschbecken.

If you used ist, the sentence would still be understandable, but it would be less specific and less idiomatic in many contexts.

English often just says there is or is, but German frequently uses these position verbs.

Eine Bürste is the subject of the first clause, so it is in the nominative case.

• eine = feminine nominative singular
• Bürste = brush

It comes after the verb because Im Bad was placed first. German still keeps the verb in second position, so the subject moves after the verb.

This does not mean eine Bürste is an object. It is still the subject.

Der Schwamm is the subject of the second clause, so it is also in the nominative case.

• der = masculine nominative singular
• Schwamm = sponge

The second clause has the more straightforward order:

• der Schwamm = subject
• ist = verb
• schon ganz nass = rest of the predicate

So this part is a normal subject-verb structure.

Using der suggests that this is a specific sponge, one that is known or identifiable in the situation.

German, like English, uses:

• ein Schwamm = a sponge
• der Schwamm = the sponge

In this sentence, the speaker is probably talking about the sponge in that bathroom, so der Schwamm is natural.

It means something like:

• already very wet
• already quite wet
• already completely wet

Word by word:

• schon = already
• ganz = quite / very / completely, depending on context
• nass = wet

Here ganz intensifies nass. So ganz nass means more than just a little wet.

A natural English translation might be:

• the sponge is already really wet
• the sponge is already soaking wet

Yes. Bad is a very common everyday word for bathroom.

• das Bad = bathroom
• das Badezimmer = bathroom

In many situations, Bad is the more natural choice. It is not strange or incomplete.

This sentence contains two main clauses:

1. Im Bad liegt eine Bürste neben dem Waschbecken
2. der Schwamm ist schon ganz nass

They are connected by und.

In German, a comma before und in this kind of sentence is often optional. Many writers leave it out, but some include it to make the structure clearer, especially when the clauses are a bit longer or have different subjects.

So both of these can be acceptable:

• Im Bad liegt eine Bürste neben dem Waschbecken und der Schwamm ist schon ganz nass.
• Im Bad liegt eine Bürste neben dem Waschbecken, und der Schwamm ist schon ganz nass.

The version with the comma is just a little clearer to read.

German forms compound nouns very freely, and they are usually written as one word.

• waschen = to wash
• Becken = basin
• Waschbecken = washbasin / sink

This is extremely common in German. The last part usually determines the grammatical gender, so because das Becken is neuter, das Waschbecken is also neuter.

That is why the sentence has dem Waschbecken:

• das Waschbecken → dative: dem Waschbecken

Because in German, all nouns are capitalized.

So you get:

• das Bad
• die Bürste
• das Waschbecken
• der Schwamm

This is a basic spelling rule in German and helps you spot nouns more easily when reading.