The Subject and Predicate in German Sentences

Parts of the sentence (or sentence components) refer to the fundamental building blocks of a sentence that help us understand its structure and meaning.

In German grammar, the most important sentence components are the subject ("Subjekt"), the predicate ("Prädikat"), the object ("Objekt"), and adverbial phrases ("Adverbiale Bestimmungen").

Each of these blocks plays a crucial role in constructing a sentence and contributes to the overall meaning.

On this page, we offer an overview of these components and their functions.

Subject & Predicate

The "Subjekt" and "Prädikat" are the central elements of every sentence. The subject refers to the person or thing performing the action, while the predicate describes the action or state.

Subject

The subject of a sentence is in the nominative case (the first of the four German cases) and is often a noun or a pronoun. It answers the question wer? (who?) or was? (what?).

Example:

„Der Hund bellt.“ (The dog barks.)

Wer oder was bellt? (Who or what is barking?) „Der Hund“.

Predicate

The predicate is the central verb of the sentence and shows what the subject is doing or what is happening to it. It often consists of one or more verbs that express the action, process, or state. You can find the predicate by asking what the subject is doing (Was tut das Subjekt?).

Example:

„Der Hund bellt.“ (The dog barks.)

Was tut der Hund? (What is the dog doing?) Er „bellt“ (It "barks".)

Object

Objects complement the predicate and provide additional information about whom or what the predicate's action refers to. There are different types of objects, each in a specific declension case.

Accusative Object

The accusative object is in the accusative case (the second of the four German cases), indicates the direct object of the sentence, and answers the question wen? (whom?) or was? (what?).

Example:

„Ich sehe den Hund.“ (I see the dog.)

Wen oder was siehst Du? (Whom or what do you see?) „Den Hund“.

Dative Object

The dative object (in the dative case, the third of the four German cases) indicates the indirect object of the sentence and answers the question „wem?“ (to whom?).

Example:

„Ich gebe dem Hund einen Knochen.“ (I give the dog a bone.)

Wem gibst Du den Knochen? (To whom do you give the bone?) „Dem Hund“.

Genitive Object

The genitive object (in the genitive case, the fourth and final German case) is required by certain verbs or prepositions and answers the question wessen? (whose? / of whom?).

Example:

„Er gedenkt der Toten.“ (He commemorates the dead.)

Wessen gedenkt er? (Of whom does he commemorate?) „Der Toten“.

Adverbial Phrases

Adverbial phrases ("Adverbiale Bestimmungen") are sentence components that provide additional information about the circumstances of an action, such as time, place, reason, or manner.

They are flexible components of the sentence that can offer varied information, and the German language includes the following types:

Adverbial Phrase of Time (Temporal)

Indicates when something happens (Question: Wann?).

Example:

„Ich gehe morgen einkaufen.“ (I'm going shopping tomorrow.)

Here, „morgen“ is the temporal phrase.

Adverbial Phrase of Place (Local)

Indicates where something happens (Question: Wo? / Wohin? / Woher?).

Example:

„Ich wohne in Berlin.“ (I live in Berlin.)

Here, „in Berlin“ is the local phrase.

Adverbial Phrase of Reason (Causal)

Indicates the reason for an action (Question: Warum? / Weshalb?).

Example:

„Wegen des Regens bleiben wir zu Hause.“ (Because of the rain, we are staying home.)

Here, „Wegen des Regens“ is the causal phrase.

Adverbial Phrase of Manner (Modal)

Indicates how something happens (Question: Wie?).

Example:

„Sie liest das Buch laut vor.“ (She reads the book aloud.)

Here, „laut“ is the modal phrase.

Conclusion

Sentence components are essential for understanding and constructing sentences. Each component—whether subject, predicate, object, or adverbial phrase—has its own role and contributes to the overall meaning of a sentence.

For a deeper insight into the individual sentence components, and more specific examples, we recommend the respective specialized articles on each of these components.