German Phrase
Die Lehrer bringen den Schülern was bei.
Meaning
The teachers teach something to the students. The sentence emphasizes the act of imparting knowledge or a skill, without specifying exactly what is being taught.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to talk about teachers giving lessons, demonstrations, or instructions to a group of students, especially in a classroom or workshop setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DieLehrerbringendenSchülernwasbei
Definite Article (Plural)
‘Die’ is the nominative plural definite article used for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns.
Subject-Verb Agreement
‘Lehrer’ is plural, so the verb ‘bringen’ is conjugated in the third person plural.
Dative Case
‘den Schülern’ is dative plural, indicating the indirect object (to whom something is brought).
Separable Verb ‘beibringen’
‘bei‑’ separates from ‘bringen’ and moves to the end of the clause in main clauses.
Indefinite Pronoun ‘was’
‘was’ means ‘something’ and functions as the direct object in this sentence.
🗨In Conversation
Was machen die Lehrer heute im Unterricht?
What are the teachers doing in class today?
Die Lehrer bringen den Schülern was bei.
The teachers are teaching something to the students.
✕Common Mistakes
Die Lehrer bringen die Schülern was bei.
‘Schülern’ must be dative plural, so the article changes to ‘den’ and the noun stays ‘Schülern’.
Die Lehrer bringt den Schülern was bei.
The verb must agree with the plural subject ‘Lehrer’, so use ‘bringen’, not ‘bringt’.
Die Lehrer bei bringen den Schülern was.
‘Beibringen’ is a separable verb; the prefix ‘bei’ must move to the end of the clause.
↔Alternatives
Die Lehrer vermitteln den Schülern etwas.
The teachers convey something to the students.
Die Lehrer zeigen den Schülern etwas.
The teachers show something to the students.
Die Lehrer geben den Schülern etwas beizubringen.
The teachers give the students something to learn.
Cultural Tip
In German schools, the verb ‘beibringen’ is often used for teaching practical skills (e.g., a sport, a musical instrument) or specific knowledge. It sounds slightly more informal than ‘unterrichten’, which is used for formal academic teaching. Be aware that the dative case is mandatory with ‘beibringen’ because the learner is the indirect object.