German Phrase
Er warnt dich bei einem Brand.
Meaning
He gives you a warning in the event of a fire, typically telling you what to do or alerting you to danger.
When to use
Use this sentence when describing safety instructions, fire drills, or any situation where someone is responsible for alerting others about a possible fire.
✦Grammar Breakdown
ErwarntdichbeieinemBrand.
warnt (warnen)
‘warnt’ is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb ‘warnen’ (to warn).
dich (Akkusativ)
‘dich’ is the accusative form of the personal pronoun ‘du’, used as the direct object of ‘warnt’.
bei + Dativ
The preposition ‘bei’ always governs the dative case; it indicates the circumstance ‘in case of’.
einem (unbestimmter Artikel, Dativ, maskulin)
‘einem’ is the indefinite article in dative masculine, matching ‘Brand’.
Brand (Maskulin)
‘Brand’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘fire’ (especially a large or dangerous one).
🗨In Conversation
Was soll ich tun, wenn das Gebäude brennt?
What should I do if the building catches fire?
Er warnt dich bei einem Brand.
He warns you in case of a fire.
✕Common Mistakes
Er warnt dich bei ein Brand.
‘bei’ requires the dative case; the article must be ‘einem’, not ‘ein’.
Er warnt du dich bei einem Brand.
The subject and verb must agree; ‘Er’ (he) requires ‘warnt’, not ‘warnt du’.
Er warnt dich bei einem Feuer.
‘Feuer’ is understandable but less technical; in official safety contexts ‘Brand’ is preferred.
↔Alternatives
Er gibt dir eine Warnung bei einem Brand.
He gives you a warning in case of a fire.
Er weist dich bei einem Brand darauf hin.
He points it out to you in case of a fire.
Er alarmiert dich, wenn ein Brand ausbricht.
He alerts you when a fire breaks out.
Cultural Tip
In German safety manuals ‘Brand’ is the preferred term for a fire that requires an emergency response, while ‘Feuer’ is used for smaller, everyday fires. In formal or workplace contexts you would replace ‘dich’ with ‘Sie’ (Er warnt Sie bei einem Brand) to keep the register polite.