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Show examples of German V2 word order with translations visualisation

Show examples of German V2 word order with translations

Mastering German Sentence Structure: Your Essential Guide: Show examples of German V2 word order with translations
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Here are some clear examples of German V2 (verb second) word order with translations:

  1. Subject first (basic order):
  • German: Die Kinder spielten im Park.
  • English: The children played in the park. Here the finite verb “spielten” is in the second position, after the subject “Die Kinder”. 1
  1. Time phrase first:
  • German: Heute arbeite ich im Garten.
  • English: Today I work in the garden. The time adverb “Heute” occupies the first position, the conjugated verb “arbeite” is second, followed by the subject “ich”. 2, 11
  1. Object first for emphasis:
  • German: Den Apfel esse ich.
  • English: The apple I am eating. Here the object phrase “Den Apfel” is in front, and the verb “esse” is second with the subject “ich” after it. 5
  1. Locative phrase first:
  • German: Im Park spielen die Kinder Fußball.
  • English: In the park, the children play soccer. The locative phrase “Im Park” is first, the verb “spielen” is second, and then the subject follows. 1
  1. With subordinate clause or adverbial phrase first:
  • German: Wenn ich Zeit habe, lese ich ein Buch.
  • English: If I have time, I read a book. The subordinate clause “Wenn ich Zeit habe” occupies the first position of the main clause, and the verb “lese” is second in the main clause. 9

In all these examples, the key is the conjugated verb always coming second in the main clause, no matter what phrase or element comes first, which can be subject, object, time, place, or subordinate clause. 11, 5, 1

This is the core feature of German V2 word order.

References

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