Nach dem Picknick trage ich den Müll weg.

After the picnic, I carry away the trash.

Breakdown of Nach dem Picknick trage ich den Müll weg.

• dem: the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
• ich: I
• nach: after
• der Müll: the trash

Questions & Answers about Nach dem Picknick trage ich den Müll weg.

Why is it dem Picknick and not das Picknick?

Because nach takes the dative case here.

• Base form: das Picknick
• Dative form: dem Picknick

So:

• nach dem Picknick = after the picnic

This is a very common pattern:

• nach dem Essen = after the meal
• nach der Arbeit = after work
• nach dem Film = after the film

Why is trage before ich?

German main clauses usually follow the verb-second rule. That means the conjugated verb must be in the second position.

In this sentence, Nach dem Picknick comes first, so the verb must come next:

• Nach dem Picknick | trage | ich den Müll weg.

Even though ich is the subject, it comes after the verb because the first position is already taken by the time phrase.

What is the basic verb here: tragen or wegtragen?