Site Feedback

Resolved questions
What is the meaning of "ein" in these sentences?


I still dont understand the structure of the sentences in German.

In the sentences:

"Sie kaufen in einem Supermarkt ein."

"Er kauft in einem Juweliergeschäft ein."

"Sie kauft in einem Baumarkt ein."

How can you translate these sentences? And what is the meaning of "ein"?

The meaning of the sentence would be different in case I forget this word?

For learning: German
Base language: English
Category: Language



    Please enter between 2 and 2000 characters.



    Sort by:

    Best Answer - Chosen by the Asker
    Ah. That's a separable verb. German has a lot of them, and they're terrible.

    Basically, "ein-" is the prefix of "einkaufen", which means "to purchase/shop/buy". With separable verbs, the prefix will be detached from the first verb (the transitive, iirc) and placed at the end, just like infinitive verbs. If you ever see something like that just floating at the end of the sentence, it is almost certainly supposed to be part of the first verb.

    So, "Sie kauft in einem Baumarkt ein," translates into, "She shops in a farm market".

    And yes, if you forget that prefix, it changes dramatically. It becomes something like "She buys in a farm market", which makes only a vague amount of sense.

    Submit your answer

    Please enter between 2 and 2000 characters.
