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From Robert Koch-Institut: Vier von zehn Erwachsenen schlafen zu wenig, tagesschau.de, 20 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Many people in Germany don't get enough sleep at night.
Word for word: Many people in Germany get at-night too little sleep.
States that many people in Germany sleep too little at night; a general factual statement, e.g. in a health or news context.
A simple main clause in verb-second order: the subject 'Viele Menschen' (nominative plural) comes first, the finite verb 'bekommen' takes second position, and the remaining elements follow. 'zu wenig Schlaf' is the accusative object, 'nachts' a temporal adverb, 'in Deutschland' a local prepositional phrase with dative.
Rules at work(5)
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Viele Menschen in Deutschland bekommen
The finite verb 'bekommen' stands in second position after the fronted subject phrase, the basic order of a German main clause.
In a German main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but it can just as easily be a time expression, an object or a whole subordinate clause; whatever it is, it counts as one element and the verb follows it. This is why putting something other than the subject first pushes the subject after the verb.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
Viele Menschen ... bekommen
The plural subject 'Menschen' requires the plural finite form 'bekommen'.
The finite verb takes an ending that matches its subject in person and number. The endings for regular verbs in the present are e, st, t, en, t, en.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
Viele Menschen
The subject of the sentence appears in the nominative.
The nominative marks the subject of the clause: whoever or whatever is doing the verb. It is also the case used after the verbs sein, werden and bleiben, so both sides of Das ist mein Bruder stand in the nominative.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
zu wenig Schlaf
'Schlaf' is the direct object of 'bekommen' and stands in the accusative.
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action is done to. Only the masculine changes visibly, from der to den and from ein to einen, which is why the masculine is where accusative errors show.
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in Deutschland
'in' takes the dative here because it describes location (where?), not movement.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(9)
- viel
many, much
adjectiveA2
'viel' before plural countable nouns means 'many'; its comparative is the irregular 'mehr'.
- der Mensch
human being, person
nounA1pl. Menschengen. Menschenweak declension
Weak n-declension: the genitive singular is Menschen and every plural form is Menschen.
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- das Deutschland
Germany
nounA1pl. —gen. Deutschlandsinvariable declension
- bekommen
to get, to receive
verbA2bekommen, bekam, hat bekommenmit habenstrong
Often means simply 'to get/receive', not 'to become' — do not confuse with English 'become'.
- nachts
at night, nights
adverbA2temporal
- zu
marker before infinitives
particleA1
Only certain verbs and expressions allow a zu-infinitive; it also exists as a preposition 'to'.
- wenig
few, little
adjectiveA2weniger, am wenigsten
- der Schlaf
sleep
nounA2pl. Schlaf(e)gen. Schlafesstrong declension