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German: Random questions

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Gemuse
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 3881 days ago

818 posts - 1189 votes 
Speaks: English
Studies: German

 
 Message 73 of 126
20 September 2014 at 11:36am | IP Logged 
Thanks everyone!!!!

A simple question - I encountered the following sentence:
Was bringt sie dem Jungen?

Why is it "Jungen" and not "Junge"?
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Cabaire
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 5398 days ago

725 posts - 1352 votes 

 
 Message 74 of 126
20 September 2014 at 12:33pm | IP Logged 
This is a widespread declension type of grammatic masculine, living beings, whose plural ends also in -(e)n:

Der Bär - dem Bären
der Fürst - dem Fürsten
der Narr - dem Narren
der Falke - dem Falken
der Kunde - dem Kundem
der Neffe - dem Neffen
der Zar - dem Zaren
der Affe - dem Affen
der Sklave - dem Sklaven
der Hase - dem Hasen

And therefore also die Bären, die Fürsten, die Narren etc. in the plural.

Exception: Der Fels, dem Felsen (a rock does not live)

But for example der Mann becomes dem Mann(e), because its plural is Männer, not *Mannen.

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Via Diva
Diglot
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Russian Federation
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Studies: German, Italian, French, Swedish, Esperanto, Czech, Greek

 
 Message 75 of 126
20 September 2014 at 12:33pm | IP Logged 
That's a weak noun.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Junge#German
http://germanforenglishspeakers.com/nouns/weak-nouns-the-n-d eclension/
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Doitsujin
Diglot
Senior Member
Germany
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1256 posts - 2363 votes 
Speaks: German*, English

 
 Message 76 of 126
20 September 2014 at 1:06pm | IP Logged 
Cabaire wrote:
This is a widespread declension type of grammatic masculine, living beings, whose plural ends also in -(e)n:
Der Bär - dem Bären
der Fürst - dem Fürsten
der Narr - dem Narren
der Falke - dem Falken
der Kunde - dem Kundem
der Neffe - dem Neffen
der Zar - dem Zaren
der Affe - dem Affen
der Sklave - dem Sklaven
der Hase - dem Hasen

Note that in colloquial German the -en singular Dative ending is often dropped, if the noun ends in a consonant.

For example:

Er gab dem Zar[en]/Narr[en] ein Geschenk. = He gave the Tsar/fool a present.

However, in formal writing, the -en ending is usually maintained.

BTW, other case endings are also on the "endangered endings list." For a short summary see this German blog post by Bastian Sick.
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Gemuse
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 3881 days ago

818 posts - 1189 votes 
Speaks: English
Studies: German

 
 Message 77 of 126
21 September 2014 at 8:01am | IP Logged 
Thanks!! Didnt know about these special declensions!

Another Q:
Also von morgen ab hört mir das mit dem Bier bei Tisch auf.

Should it be "beim" instead of "bei"?
When are there no der/ein/kein/mein type words between prepositions and nouns?


Edited by Gemuse on 22 September 2014 at 7:51am

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Cabaire
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 5398 days ago

725 posts - 1352 votes 

 
 Message 78 of 126
21 September 2014 at 11:50am | IP Logged 
There are fixed expressions of a preposition with a noun without the article. These idioms are not productive anymore:

an Bord gehen, an Land gehen
auf See
außer Haus, außer Konkurrenz
bei Tische, bei Anbruch (des Tages, der Dunkelheit)
gegen Abend
nach Wunsch, nach Laune
über Nacht
ohne Zweifel, ohne Gewähr
in See stechen
zu Bett gehen, zu Füßen legen, zu Füßen fallen
zu Kopfe steigen, zu Markte tragen
zu Felde ziehen, zu Tisch gehen

Bei Tische (or zu Tische) means "when we are eating". Learn it as an expression.
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Gemuse
Senior Member
Germany
Joined 3881 days ago

818 posts - 1189 votes 
Speaks: English
Studies: German

 
 Message 79 of 126
24 September 2014 at 6:07pm | IP Logged 
Thanks again!

Sentence 1: Er sieht keinen Menschen mehr.
Sentence 2: Ich habe das Auto nicht gesehen.

Why is the object in dativ S1 and akk in S2?

EDIT: nevermind, apparently S1 is also akk and der Mensch is a weak noun.

Edited by Gemuse on 24 September 2014 at 6:16pm

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Via Diva
Diglot
Senior Member
Russian Federation
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1109 posts - 1427 votes 
Speaks: Russian*, English
Studies: German, Italian, French, Swedish, Esperanto, Czech, Greek

 
 Message 80 of 126
24 September 2014 at 6:10pm | IP Logged 
It's not dative in S1, probably... http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Menschen


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