What's the difference between...

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1."Er ist Fotograf" but "Ist der Direktor schon da?"
2. "Er ist Optimist" but "Wo ist der Klassenlehrer?"

Why first time shouldn't we put an artikle, but second time, we do?

Thanks in advance!

Asked by lexuslover on 03:36, 25/08/2008 - 84 views
Learn German , using English Tags: Advance Grammar Reading Speaking Vocabulary

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ole

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In the second phrases you mean a special director/teacher, not just any. You'd have to use the definite article to indicate that you refer to a special person here.
In the first phrases you dont think of a special photographer or optimist, you just use the word to attribute a person in common. You could use the indefinite article here ('Er ist ein Fotograf', 'er ist ein Optimist'), but you can also spare it out.

It's the same in English btw/afaik: 'Where is the teacher', but 'he is photographer'.

3 months ago

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omnico

> Why first time shouldn't we put an artikle, but second time, we do?

The first sentence specify an property, f.e. an profession "(S)He is a teacher.". As we use the word "teacher" as an adjective to specify a property of person "(s)he", we will leave the artikle in german.

The second sentence specify an person, f.e "Where is the Teacher?". As we ask there for an person, we use the artikle.

answered 3 months ago

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