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How to Say ‘I thought the ball was in.’ in German

Ich dachte, der Ball ist drin.

ikh DAHKH-teh dair bahl ist drin

[ikh DAHKH-teh dair bahl ist drin]

Phrase Breakdown

Ich dachte,

ikh DAHKH-teh

I thought,

Past tense of 'denken' (to think). The 'ch' in 'dachte' is throaty, as in 'loch'.

Example

Ich dachte, du kommst nicht.

I thought you weren't coming.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

dachte

[DAHKH-teh]

thought

Past tense of 'denken' (to think).

Example

Ich dachte, du kommst nicht.

I thought you weren't coming.

der Ball ist drin.

dair bahl ist drin

the ball was in.

'drin' means in the goal. German uses the present tense here, while English uses 'was'.

Example

Ist der Ball drin?

Is the ball in?

Words in this phrase

der

[dair]

the

Feminine article in the dative case, used after 'in' for location.

Example

Das steht in der Zeitung.

That's in the newspaper.

Ball

[bahl]

ball

Round object used in football.

Example

Gib mir den Ball!

Give me the ball!

ist

[ist]

A form of the verb 'sein' used for singular subjects.

Example

Für viele Bewerber Ist ein gutes Teamklima entscheidend.

For many applicants, a good team climate is crucial.

drin

[drin]

in, inside

Colloquial for 'darin'; in football, the ball is in the goal.

Example

Der Ball ist drin!

The ball is in!

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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