ich habe einen Hund
The English phrase "I have a dog" is translated into German as ich habe einen Hund.
This phrase is used to state that a person owns a dog.
What does it mean word for word?
The word einen is the masculine accusative indefinite article, which corresponds to "a" or "an" in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the masculine accusative form einen Hund because the dog is the direct object of the verb haben.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the nominative ein instead of the accusative einen when stating they possess a masculine noun. Avoid saying ich habe ein Hund.
Did you know?
- German law treats dogs as 'things' Sachen in a legal sense, though they have special protections that override this classification.
- In Germany, most dog owners must pay a Hundesteuer, which is a specific annual tax for owning a dog.
- The word Hund is used in the phrase Hundewetter to describe extremely rainy or stormy weather.
Examples in context
- Ich habe einen Hund, der schnell laufen kann.I have a dog that can run fast.This sentence is useful for describing the abilities of the dog using ich habe einen Hund.Tatoeba #1989589 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1988615 by CK
- Ich habe einen Hund, der als Blindenhund ausgebildet ist.I have a dog trained as a seeing eye dog.This sentence is useful for describing the training of the dog using ich habe einen Hund.Tatoeba #7743702 by Esperantostern, translation #261964 by CM
- Ich habe einen Hund.I have a dog.This sentence is a simple way to state the fact using ich habe einen Hund.Tatoeba #351092 by MUIRIEL, translation #378502 by CK
- Entschuldigen Sie, aber ich besitze einen Hund.Excuse me, but I have a dog.
- Hast du gehört? Ich habe jetzt einen Hund!Did you hear? I have a dog now!
- Weißt du, dass ich 'nen Hund habe?Do you know that I have a dog?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are talking about pets in a park.
- HannahIch habe einen Hund.I have a dog.
- LukasEcht? Wie alt ist dein Hund?Really? How old is your dog?
- HannahEr ist erst zwei Jahre alt.He is only two years old.
- LukasEr sieht sehr süß aus!He looks very cute!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
