Basic Order of Elements in German Sentences

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the order of elements in German sentences as found in the lecture notes.

Vorfeld

The initial position in a German sentence where the subject or adverbials can appear.

Main Clause

A part of a sentence that can stand alone as a complete thought, typically following a specific syntactic structure.

Subordinate Clause

A dependent clause that provides additional information and cannot stand alone.

Pronouns

Words that replace nouns in a sentence. In German, they can occupy the subject position or other grammatical roles.

Dative

A grammatical case indicating the indirect object of a verb in German.

Accusative

A grammatical case indicating the direct object of a verb in German.

Adverbials

Words or phrases that describe the action of the verb, often indicating manner, place, time, etc.

Verb Complements

Words or phrases that complete the meaning of a verb in a sentence.

Brackets in German Sentences

Used to indicate the structure and order of elements within a sentence.

Command Structure

A grammatical form used to give orders, typically starting with the verb.

what is the word order?

Topic Vorfeld

Bracket 1

Pronouns N A D

Noun:subject

Dative noun object

Most adverbials

Accusative noun object

Adverbials of manner

Verb Complements

Bracket 2