Report damp boxes in a cellar in German

The idea

An reports position next to a vertical surface; for location it takes the dative: an der Kellerwand, an der Decke. Feucht (damp) and nass (wet) describe degrees of moisture; “dunkle Stellen” or “Flecken” describe marks. “Seit” with the present tense tells how long a state has lasted: “Sie stehen seit letzter Woche dort.” In “Ich beschreibe genau, was ich gesehen habe”, the was-clause puts the auxiliary at the end.

Other ways to say it

“An der Kellerwand bildet sich offenbar Feuchtigkeit.” – Neutral written style for an email to the building manager.

“Im Keller riecht es muffig, und die Wand hat dunkle Flecken.” – Adds the smell, which often helps describe damp.

Examples

• Die Kartons an der Kellerwand sind feucht.The boxes against the cellar wall are damp.
• Ist auch der Boden dort nass?Is the floor wet there too?
• Ich sehe nur an der Wand dunkle Stellen.I only see dark patches on the wall.
• Seit wann stehen die Kartons dort?How long have the boxes been there?
• Sie stehen seit letzter Woche an dieser Stelle.They have been in that spot since last week.
• Ich beschreibe genau, was ich gesehen habe.I will describe exactly what I saw.

Watch out

“Die Kartons an die Kellerwand sind feucht.” → “Die Kartons an der Kellerwand sind feucht.”: The boxes already stand there, so an describes a location and takes the dative. The accusative an die Wand only fits a movement, as in stellen.

Try it yourself

1. Translate into German: The boxes against the cellar wall are damp.

   Show answer or example answer

   Die Kartons an der Kellerwand sind feucht.

   “Die Kartons an der Kellerwand” is the whole subject, including a dative location; “sind feucht” describes their state.

2. Put the words in order: an / der / dunkle / Ich / nur / sehe / Stellen / Wand

   Show answer or example answer

   Ich sehe nur an der Wand dunkle Stellen.

   “Nur” limits the observation; “an der Wand” comes before the object “dunkle Stellen”, which has no article.

3. Write this sentence in German: I will describe exactly what I saw.

   Show answer or example answer

   Ich beschreibe genau, was ich gesehen habe.

   “Genau” describes how; the was-clause works as the object, with the perfect “gesehen habe” at the end.

Use it today

Write a three-sentence email to a building manager reporting damp in a shared room: what you saw, where exactly and since when.