Daily Language Challenge Logo Daily Language Challenge

'An' Definition

What is the meaning of the German word 'An'?

Home > German Language > What is the meaning of An?

The word 'An' is a German word that can mean 'At' in English. You can find example sentences below to help you understand how to use the word in context.

Definition of 'An' in English

An - At

preposition

The preposition 'an' is commonly used in German to indicate the location or target of an action. It is often translated as 'at' or 'to' in English, depending on the context.

Example Sentences:

Related Words

Freundlich An Schauen Kreaturen

German Challenges

Intermediate

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'ihr' in the genitive case.

Das ist die Tasche ihrer Freundin.

Reset answer
You answered correctly!
The genitive case form of the possessive pronoun 'ihr' (her) corresponding to a feminine noun is 'ihrer'. In the sentence 'Das ist die Tasche ihrer Freundin', 'ihrer' is used to show possession, indicating that the friend is the owner of the bag. 'Ihr' changes to 'ihrer' in the genitive case to express this possession. Fun fact - if it was 'Ihrer' (with the first letter capitalized) then it would mean 'your' (format) not 'her'!
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "dürfen" to fit the sentence below

darf ich hier sitzen?

Reset answer
You answered correctly!
The correct form for 'dürfen' in the first person singular for a question is 'darf'. The full translation is "May I sit here?.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Intermediate

Which word correctly depicts the action of stealing in the past?

Deine Sachen wurden gestern vom Zimmer gestohlen.

Reset answer
You answered correctly!
'Gestohlen' is the past participle of the German verb 'stehlen', which means 'to steal' in English. The past participle is used in this sentence to depict an action that has been done in the past - here, the stealing of the things. The other options are not recognized words in the German language or are the incorrect form of the verb 'stehlen'.
View Full Challenge
Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "denken" to mean "to think of"?

Ich denke an dich.

Reset answer
You answered incorrectly.
The correct preposition to use with "denken" to convey the meaning of "to think of" is "an", forming the phrase "denken an". The sentence "Ich denke an dich" translates to "I am thinking of you." The other prepositions are not used to express the concept of thinking of someone or something. Fun Fact: "Denken an" requires the accusative case, as it typically involves a direct object – the thing or person being thought of.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'er' in the dative case.

Ich helfe ihm immer, wenn er Hilfe braucht.

Reset answer
You answered incorrectly.
The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'er' (he) is 'ihm'. In the sentence, 'ihm' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. 'Er' changes to 'ihm' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'er' in the accusative case.

Siehst du ihn da drüben?

Reset answer
You answered incorrectly.
The accusative form of the personal pronoun 'er' (he) is 'ihn'. In the sentence "Siehst du ihn da drüben?" 'ihn' is used as the direct object, being the person seen (the one affected by the action of the verb). Here, the verb 'sehen' (to see) requires a direct object to complete its sense. 'Er' changes to 'ihn' in the accusative case to reflect this role.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "dürfen" to fit the sentence below.

Ihr dürft nicht rauchen.

Reset answer
You answered correctly!
The correct form for 'dürfen' in the third person plural for a negative statement is 'dürfen'. The full translation is "You (plural) may not smoke".
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Intermediate

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'ich' in the dative case.

Könntest du mir bitte das Salz reichen?

Reset answer
You answered incorrectly.
The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'ich' (you) is 'mir'. In the sentence "Könntest du mir bitte das Salz reichen?" ('Could you please me pass the salt?'), 'mir' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. Here, the verb 'reichen' (to pass) requires an indirect object to indicate to whom the salt is passed. 'Ich' changes to 'mir' in the dative case to reflect this role.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Das Kind hat das ganze Eis aufgegessen.

Reset answer
You answered incorrectly.
The verb 'essen' (to eat) usually requires 'haben' to form the perfect tense, as it's a transitive verb which means it requires an object for the action. Hence, 'Das Kind hat das ganze Eis aufgegessen', which means 'The child ate all the ice cream', is the correct sentence. The usage of 'haben' is key to accurately presenting this action in the past tense.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge
Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Er hat einen Brief geschrieben.

Reset answer
You answered correctly!
For the verb 'schreiben' (to write), 'haben' is the correct auxiliary verb in the past tense, not 'sein'. So the correct sentence is 'Er hat einen Brief geschrieben' which means 'He has written a letter'. When you use 'schreiben', it is about an action that has been done, in this case, writing a letter, thus 'haben' is used. Understanding this distinction is crucial in conveying the intended action in the German language.
Explore these topics to learn more!
View Full Challenge

German Topics

Prepositional Verbs Accusative Prepositions Modal Verbs Cases Summary Accusative Case Dative Case Genitive Case Auxiliary Verbs Personal Pronouns Cases Dative Prepositions Coordinating Conjunctions Subordinating Conjunctions

Track your progress, get daily alerts!

Simply provide your email address to keep track of your answers, and optionally receive daily alerts for new challenges.