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Sentence explanations

1. Können Sie uns bitte in der Nähe des Eingangs der Klinik absetzen?

   Could you drop us near the clinic entrance, please?

   Können Sie

   Could you

   uns

   us

   bitte

   please

   in der Nähe

   near

   Eingangs

   entrance

   Klinik

   clinic

   absetzen

   drop off

   More detail

   Können Sie is a polite formal request: können means “can/be able to,” and Sie is the formal “you” for one or more people. In this question, können is the finite verb and Sie is its subject. A modal verb such as können sends the other verb to the end in the infinitive. uns means “us” and is the accusative form of wir (“we”). It is the people being dropped off. Compare wir as the subject: Wir warten. — “We are waiting.” bitte adds “please” and makes the request polite. It can also appear in other polite requests, such as Warten Sie bitte. — “Please wait.” in der Nähe is the reusable pattern “near/in the vicinity of.” The noun Nähe is feminine, and after in this phrase uses the dative form der Nähe for a stationary location. For example, Wir sind in der Nähe. means “We are nearby.” Eingangs comes from the noun der Eingang (“entrance”). Here it is the genitive singular form, meaning “of the entrance”: des Eingangs. The form changes from Eingang to Eingangs, while the masculine genitive article is des. The phrase des Eingangs der Klinik therefore means “of the clinic’s entrance” or, more naturally here, “the clinic entrance.” Klinik means “clinic.” In der Klinik, the feminine noun has the same visible form as its basic singular form; the article der marks the genitive relation after Eingangs: der Eingang der Klinik — “the clinic entrance.” absetzen means “to drop off” someone or something. It is a separable verb: in a simple present-tense main clause it can split, as in Sie setzen uns ab. — “They drop us off.” With the modal können, the infinitive remains together at the end: Können Sie uns absetzen? — “Could you drop us off?” Together, Können Sie uns bitte ... absetzen? asks politely whether the addressee can drop the speakers off. The location phrase in der Nähe des Eingangs der Klinik specifies that the drop-off should be near the clinic entrance. Thus the whole utterance means: “Could you drop us near the clinic entrance, please?”

2. Ist das gleich hinter der Hauptkreuzung?

   Is that just past the main intersection?

   Ist das

   is that

   gleich hinter

   just past

   Hauptkreuzung

   main intersection

   More detail

   Ist das begins a yes/no question. Ist is the third-person singular present form of sein (“to be”); the basic pattern is Ist das ...? = “Is that ...?” Here das is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” Its specific referent is understood from the situation, while its grammatical form is neuter singular. gleich hinter gives the location “just past” or “immediately behind.” In this sentence, gleich does not mean “same”; it strengthens the nearby-location idea. hinter can describe either location or movement. For a stationary location, it takes the dative: hinter der .... For movement to a place, German commonly uses the accusative instead, for example Ich fahre hinter die Kreuzung (“I drive beyond the intersection”). Hauptkreuzung means “main intersection.” It is a feminine compound noun: die Hauptkreuzung; Haupt- specifies the type or importance of Kreuzung. After the location use of hinter, the feminine singular article changes from die to der: hinter der Hauptkreuzung. The article is not part of the noun itself. Together, Ist das + gleich hinter der Hauptkreuzung asks whether the indicated place is just beyond the main intersection: “Is that just past the main intersection?” The sentence is a compact way to confirm a location while traveling or giving directions.

3. Biegen Sie nach der Bank links ab.

   Turn left after the bank.

   Biegen … ab

   turn

   Sie

   you (formal)

   nach

   after

   Bank

   bank

   links

   left

   More detail

   Biegen … ab is the separable verb abbiegen, meaning “to turn.” In this sentence, Biegen appears at the beginning and the prefix ab moves to the end. The form Biegen is also the form used in a polite command with Sie: Biegen Sie ... ab. Example: Biegen Sie rechts ab. — “Turn right.” Sie is the formal second-person pronoun used for one or more people. In this command, it identifies the person or people being addressed; German does not show whether the formal addressee is singular or plural here. nach der Bank means “after the bank.” The preposition nach is followed here by der Bank; Bank is feminine, and der is its dative singular article in this phrase. Bank means “bank.” Example: Nach der Brücke biegen Sie rechts ab. — “After the bridge, turn right.” links means “to the left” or “left” when giving directions. Its opposite in this directional use is rechts, “to the right.” Example: Biegen Sie links ab. — “Turn left.” Together, Biegen Sie nach der Bank links ab. forms a polite instruction: “Turn left after the bank.” The directional sequence is Biegen Sie + nach der Bank + links + the separated verb prefix ab.

4. Dann folgen Sie der Straße in Richtung Apotheke.

   Then follow the road toward the pharmacy.

   Dann

   then

   folgen

   follow

   Sie

   you (formal)

   Straße

   road; street

   in Richtung

   toward; in the direction of

   Apotheke

   pharmacy

   More detail

   Dann means “then” and links this instruction to the next step in the route. It is an adverb and does not change for person or number. folgen means “follow” here. German folgen takes a dative complement, so der Straße is dative: the instruction is literally to follow the road. In this sentence, folgen Sie is a formal imperative addressed to one or more people; this form is identical to the infinitive, and the capitalized Sie marks formal “you.” Example: Folgen Sie dem Bus. — “Follow the bus.” Sie is the formal second-person pronoun here. It is capitalized and uses the same form for one person and for several people. The verb form used with formal Sie is also the same as the third-person plural present form, but the context here makes it an instruction to the addressee. Straße means “road” or “street.” Its base form is Straße; der Straße shows feminine singular dative after folgen. The noun itself is not changing for this reason—the visible case marking is on the article der. in Richtung is a reusable directional pattern meaning “toward” or “in the direction of.” It is followed here by Apotheke, giving in Richtung Apotheke, “toward the pharmacy.” Example: Gehen Sie in Richtung Bahnhof. — “Walk toward the train station.” Apotheke means “pharmacy.” It is a feminine noun: die Apotheke. In in Richtung Apotheke, the noun appears without an article, a common compact way to name the destination or direction. Together, Dann folgen Sie der Straße means “Then follow the road,” and in Richtung Apotheke specifies the direction. The complete utterance is therefore: “Then follow the road toward the pharmacy.”

5. Soll ich nach dem Abbiegen geradeaus weiterfahren?

   Should I keep going straight after the turn?

   Soll ich

   should I

   nach dem Abbiegen

   after the turn

   geradeaus

   straight ahead

   weiterfahren

   continue driving

   More detail

   Soll ich uses sollen in the present-tense first-person singular form soll with the subject ich. In this question, it asks whether the speaker is expected or advised to do something: “Should I …?” In a yes/no question, the finite verb comes before the subject. The lexical verb remains later in the infinitive because sollen is a modal verb. Example: Soll ich warten? — “Should I wait?” nach dem Abbiegen means “after the turn/after turning.” nach takes the dative here, so the neuter nominalized infinitive Abbiegen appears with the dative article dem. German capitalizes this nominalized form. The related verb is abbiegen, “to turn.” Example: Nach dem Abbiegen fahren wir weiter. — “After turning, we continue.” geradeaus is an adverb meaning “straight ahead.” It describes the direction of the driving, rather than naming a road or vehicle. It is written as one word. Example: Fahren Sie geradeaus. — “Drive straight ahead.” weiterfahren is an infinitive meaning “to continue driving” or “to keep going.” It combines weiter, “further/on,” with fahren, “to drive/go.” With a modal verb, the infinitive stays at the end: Soll ich weiterfahren? — “Should I continue driving?” In a regular finite clause, the separable verb can appear as Ich fahre weiter — “I continue driving/go on.” Together, nach dem Abbiegen sets the time or point in the route, geradeaus gives the direction, and weiterfahren supplies the action. The modal question Soll ich ...? asks whether the speaker should perform that action. Thus the whole utterance means: “Should I keep going straight after the turn?”

6. Fahren Sie weiter, bis die Apotheke rechts von Ihnen ist.

   Keep going until the pharmacy is on your right.

   Fahren Sie

   go / drive (formal command)

   weiter

   on; further

   bis

   until

   Apotheke

   pharmacy

   rechts von Ihnen

   on your right

   More detail

   Fahren Sie uses fahren (“to drive; to travel/go”) in the formal imperative. Fahren Sie ... addresses one or more people formally; the form fahren is used with formal Sie. Example: Fahren Sie langsam. — “Drive slowly.” weiter adds the idea of continuing: “on” or “further.” Together, Fahren Sie weiter means “Keep going” or, in this driving context, “Continue driving.” weiterfahren is also a common infinitive written as one word; here weiter is separated in the command. bis introduces the point up to which an action continues: “until.” Here it introduces the clause die Apotheke rechts von Ihnen ist. In this subordinate clause, the finite verb ist comes at the end. Apotheke means “pharmacy.” It is a feminine noun. In die Apotheke, die is the definite article for a singular feminine noun in the nominative case; die Apotheke is the subject of the clause. rechts von Ihnen means “on your right.” rechts has its spatial meaning “right.” The preposition von takes the dative case, so formal Sie appears as Ihnen here. von Ihnen specifies whose right side is meant. The sentence combines the continuing command Fahren Sie weiter with the endpoint clause bis die Apotheke rechts von Ihnen ist: “Keep going until the pharmacy is on your right.”

7. Wo soll ich anhalten?

   Where would you like me to stop?

   Wo

   where

   soll ich

   should I

   anhalten

   stop

   More detail

   Wo asks for a location: “where.” It is used when the missing information is a place, as in Wo ist die Apotheke? — “Where is the pharmacy?” soll ich combines sollen (“to be supposed to / should”) with ich (“I”). soll is the present-tense first-person singular form of sollen; the subject is ich. In a question about the speaker’s intended action, Soll ich ...? asks what the speaker is expected or wanted to do. Here, the fixed translation naturally expresses that as “Would you like me to ...?” anhalten means “to stop,” especially to stop a vehicle or stop moving. It is an infinitive and stays at the end after the modal verb: Soll ich anhalten? — “Should I stop?” As a separable verb, it appears as ich halte an in a simple present statement: Ich halte hier an. — “I’m stopping here.” This is different from halten, which can mean “to hold” or “to stop,” depending on context. Together, Wo soll ich anhalten? asks for the place where the speaker should stop, meaning “Where would you like me to stop?” The following context identifies the requested area as somewhere near the front door.

8. Irgendwo in der Nähe der Eingangstür ist in Ordnung.

   Anywhere near the front door is fine.

   Irgendwo

   somewhere; anywhere

   Nähe

   vicinity; nearness

   Eingangstür

   front door; entrance door

   in Ordnung

   fine; acceptable

   More detail

   Irgendwo means “somewhere” or, in this context, “anywhere”: the speaker allows an unspecified location. It is an indefinite location word. Compare hier (“here”) and dort (“there”). Example: Wir treffen uns irgendwo in der Stadt. — “We’ll meet somewhere in the city.” Nähe means “vicinity” or “nearness.” In the reusable expression in der Nähe (“nearby; in the vicinity”), Nähe is a feminine noun: die Nähe, and der Nähe is its dative form after the locative in. The phrase can stand alone when the nearby reference is understood, or it can be followed by a genitive reference, as here. Eingangstür means “entrance door” or “front door.” It is a feminine compound noun: die Eingangstür. In der Eingangstür, the form is genitive singular, marking what the vicinity is near: in der Nähe der Eingangstür — “near the front door.” Example: Das Fahrrad steht in der Nähe der Eingangstür. — “The bicycle is near the front door.” in Ordnung is a fixed expression meaning “fine,” “all right,” or “acceptable.” With sein, it evaluates a situation or arrangement: Das ist in Ordnung. — “That is fine.” In the utterance, ist in Ordnung says that the proposed location is acceptable. Together, Irgendwo in der Nähe der Eingangstür means “somewhere/anywhere near the front door.” The subject of ist in Ordnung is the proposed location as a whole, so the complete utterance means: “Anywhere near the front door is fine.”

9. Ich kann gleich hinter dem Eingang anhalten.

   I can pull over just beyond the entrance.

   Ich kann

   I can

   gleich hinter

   just beyond

   Eingang

   entrance

   anhalten

   pull over

   More detail

   Ich kann uses können (“to be able to/can”) in the first-person singular present: ich kann. A modal verb is followed by an infinitive, which appears at the end of this clause. Here it expresses ability or possibility, not a command. Example: Ich kann morgen kommen. — “I can come tomorrow.” gleich hinter means “immediately beyond/just behind” in this location. gleich can also mean “soon” or “the same,” so its spatial meaning here comes from its combination with hinter. The phrase continues as gleich hinter dem Eingang; hinter takes the dative for a stationary location, hence dem with the masculine noun Eingang. Eingang is the masculine noun “entrance,” with the base form der Eingang and plural die Eingänge. The compound noun refers to a place where one enters. Example: Der Eingang ist dort. — “The entrance is there.” anhalten means “to stop,” and in a vehicle context it can mean “to pull over.” It is a separable verb: without a modal, ich halte an; after kann, the infinitive remains together at the end: Ich kann anhalten. — “I can pull over.” Together, Ich kann gleich hinter dem Eingang anhalten. means “I can pull over just beyond the entrance.” The modal kann marks the speaker’s ability or possibility, the location phrase specifies where, and the final infinitive gives the action.