Mit dem Dynamo leuchtet das Rücklicht hell.

with

Breakdown of Mit dem Dynamo leuchtet das Rücklicht hell.

• leuchten: to shine
• hell: brightly
• der Dynamo: the dynamo

Questions & Answers about Mit dem Dynamo leuchtet das Rücklicht hell.

Why is it dem Dynamo and not der Dynamo?

Because mit always takes the dative case in German.

• der Dynamo = the dynamo (nominative)
• dem Dynamo = with the dynamo (dative)

So:

• mit dem Dynamo = with the dynamo

This is one of the most important case rules to memorize: mit + dative.

What case is das Rücklicht in?

Das Rücklicht is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence — it is the thing doing the action of leuchtet.

Even though it comes after the verb here, it is still the subject.

A good way to see that is:

• What is shining/glowing brightly?
• Das Rücklicht.

So das Rücklicht is nominative singular.

Why does the subject come after the verb in this sentence?

German main clauses usually follow the verb-second rule (V2). That means the finite verb must be in the second position.

Here, the sentence starts with a prepositional phrase:

• Mit dem Dynamo = first position

So the conjugated verb must come next:

• leuchtet = second position

Then the subject comes after that:

• das Rücklicht

So the structure is:

• Mit dem Dynamo | leuchtet | das Rücklicht | hell

This is normal German word order.