10.5 Change
of position with substitution of an object with personal
pronouns
a) phrase without substitution
The
man gives the apple to the boy.
(first direct
object, then indirect
object)
Der
Mann schenkt dem
Jungen den
Apfel.
(first indirect object,
thendirect
object)
For the case that none of the objects is substituted the
German word order is different from the English one.
b) the phrase changes when the direct
object is substituted
Der Mann schenkt dem
Jungen den Apfel.
Der Mann schenkt ihn dem Jungen.
= He gives it to the boy.
You see? The direct object
is den Apfel and it was at the end of the phrase. If
substituted the direct object goes before the indirect
object and suddenly the word order is the same like
in English.
c) the phrase doesn't change when the indirect object is substituted
Der Mann schenkt dem Jungen den Apfel.
Der Mann schenkt ihm den
Apfel. = He gives the apple to her.
/ He gives her the apple.
You see? How bizarre, but the phrase
doesn't change when only the indirect object is substituted.
d) the phrase does change when the
both objects are substituted
Der Mann schenkt dem Jungen den Apfel.
Der Mann schenkt ihnihm. = The man
gives it to him.
Is the indirect object substitute
together with the direct object the rule b) is valid
again - the phrase changes. It's probably easier not
to think about the why. We would most definitely refer
at the beauty, diversity and richness of a language
and its history ;-)
