'An' Definition

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

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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:

German Challenges

Beginner

Which word is correctly declined in the nominative singular case?

Der Wald ist grün und voller Leben.

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In this specific context, 'Wald' is the correct noun as it is in nominative singular form. This case is used for the subject of a sentence. In this context, it means 'forest'. The other options 'Wälder' (plural), 'Walde' (singular in dated dative form), or 'Waldes' (genitive) do not fit into the sentence properly.
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the dative case for a Feminine noun.

Ich helfe der Frau

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In German, the dative case form of the feminine article "die" is "der." For example, in the sentence "Ich helfe der Frau," which translates to "I help the woman" in English, the word "Frau" (woman) is in the dative case as the indirect object of the verb "helfen" (to help), so the article changes from "die" to "der."
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for the masculine noun "Baum" (tree)?

Die Blätter des Baumes sind grün.

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The appropriate definite article for masculine nouns in the genitive case is "des." Therefore, the sentence should be "Die Blätter des Baumes sind grün," which translates to "The leaves of the tree are green" in English.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "danken" to mean "to thank for"?

Sie bedankt sich für den Brief.

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The verb "bedanken" is a reflexive verb in German, meaning it is used with a reflexive pronoun. In this case, "sich bedanken" is used to express the act of giving thanks. The correct preposition to use with "sich bedanken" for conveying the meaning of "to thank for" is "für". Therefore, the sentence "Sie bedankt sich für den Brief" translates to "She thanks [herself] for the letter," more naturally expressed in English as "She gives thanks for the letter" or "She is thankful for the letter." The use of "für" is crucial in this context to indicate what the person is thanking for.
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Intermediate

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

Das ist die Tasche ihrer Freundin.

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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'!
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Intermediate

Which word best completes the sentence to mean 'cabin'?

Im Wald gab es eine kleine Hütte, in der ein alter Mann lebte.

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In this sentence, 'Hütte' is the correct term to use in German to denote a 'cabin', 'hut', or 'cottage'. 'Hütt' doesn't exist in German, 'Hütten' would be the correct plural form, and 'Hüte' translates to 'hats', which doesn't make sense in this context.
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Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "sollen" to fit the sentence below. Important to note that we are using the third person plural or formal address here.

Sie sollen das Buch lesen.

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The correct form for 'sollen' in the third person singular or formal address is 'sollen'. The full translation of the sentence is "You should read the book" or "They should read the book". Fun fact - this sentence would also be correct with 'soll' if we were using the third person singular 'sie' to mean 'she'.
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Intermediate

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

Die Kinder haben im Park gespielt.

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In the case of 'spielen' which is an action verb, we typically use 'haben' as an auxiliary verb when forming the past tense. Thus, 'Die Kinder haben im Park gespielt' (The children played in the park) is the correct sentence. 'Sein' is usually used with verbs that depict movement or state change, which is not the case with 'spielen'. Understanding the appropriate usage of 'haben' and 'sein' forms a fundamental part mastering past tense in the German language.
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Beginner

Which word best fits the sentence to mean 'onto'?

Sie legen das Buch auf den Tisch.

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In this context, 'auf' is a German preposition that translates to 'on' or 'onto' in English. It is used to describe the position of something in relation to a surface or a place. 'Auf' is the only option that fits the sentence's context and works grammatically. Other options ('an', 'aus', und 'ein') don't fit the context or are grammatically incorrect.
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Beginner

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'laufen' to mean 'to run through'?

Er läuft durch den Park

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The correct preposition to use with 'laufen' to convey the meaning of 'to run through' is 'durch', forming the phrase 'laufen durch'. The sentence 'Er läuft durch den Park' translates to 'He is running through the park.' The other prepositions are not used to express the concept of running through a place. Fun Fact: 'Laufen durch' requires the accusative case, as it typically involves a direct object – the place being run through.
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