Die Walnüsse auf dem Tisch sind noch in der Tüte.

Die Walnüsse is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative case.

The singular noun is die Walnuss and the plural is die Walnüsse. In German, die can mean:

• the for a feminine singular noun
• the for any plural noun

Here it is plural, because Walnüsse means walnuts.

You can also see that from the verb: sind = are, which matches a plural subject.

The singular is die Walnuss, and the plural is die Walnüsse.

German plurals are not always predictable, and this noun uses two changes:

• -e is added
• the vowel u changes to ü (an umlaut)

So:

• die Walnuss = walnut
• die Walnüsse = walnuts

This is something learners usually need to memorize with the noun.

Because auf is a two-way preposition.

With two-way prepositions, German uses:

• dative for location: where something is
• accusative for direction/movement: where something is going

Here the sentence describes location: the walnuts are on the table, not moving onto it.

So:

• auf dem Tisch = on the table
• auf den Tisch = onto the table

Also, Tisch is masculine: der Tisch.
Its dative form is dem Tisch.

For the same reason as auf dem Tisch.

In is also a two-way preposition:

• in der Tüte = in the bag, inside the bag already → location → dative
• in die Tüte = into the bag → movement/direction → accusative

Since the walnuts are already inside the bag, German uses dative.

Tüte is feminine:

• nominative: die Tüte
• dative: der Tüte

So in der Tüte is correct.

Here noch means still.

So sind noch in der Tüte means are still in the bag.

It suggests that the walnuts have not been taken out yet.
Without noch, the sentence would simply state where they are:

• Die Walnüsse auf dem Tisch sind in der Tüte. = The walnuts on the table are in the bag.
• Die Walnüsse auf dem Tisch sind noch in der Tüte. = The walnuts on the table are still in the bag.

It describes die Walnüsse.

So die Walnüsse auf dem Tisch means:

• the walnuts on the table

Then the rest of the sentence says something about those walnuts:

• sind noch in der Tüte = are still in the bag

This may sound a little odd at first in English, because you might wonder: if the walnuts are on the table, how can they also be in the bag?

The idea is that the walnuts that are on the table are there as part of a bag sitting on the table. In other words, the bag is on the table, and the walnuts have not been taken out yet.

In a normal German main clause, the finite verb usually comes in second position.

Here the first element is the whole subject:

• Die Walnüsse auf dem Tisch

Then comes the verb:

• sind

Then the rest:

• noch in der Tüte

So the structure is:

• [Subject] [Verb] [Rest]

This is a basic and very common German sentence pattern.

No. Tüte is just one common word for a certain kind of bag.

Tüte usually suggests a light bag such as:

• a paper bag
• a plastic bag
• a small shopping bag

Other German words for types of bags include:

• Beutel = pouch, bag, sack
• Tasche = bag, pocket, handbag
• Sack = sack

So in der Tüte gives a fairly everyday picture: the walnuts are still inside a bag, probably the one they came in.

Because in German, all nouns are capitalized.

So you write:

• die Walnüsse
• der Tisch
• die Tüte

This is a standard spelling rule in German and is one of the most noticeable differences from English.