Headword
Language German · three-place teaching · beibringen and unterrichten on this page, not separate pages
Teacher, Learner, Content · case by lemma · German cloth · working claim, revisable
Voice[Teacher] + low Appl(Learner) + complement of the root (Content)
lehren · LearnerACC · ContentACC or an infinitive · LearnerDAT is printed, and the labels do not agree
beibringen · LearnerDAT · ContentACC, a wie-clause, or a zu-infinitive · bei is the particle
unterrichten · LearnerACC · Content in in+dative when the Learner is in the clause · ContentACC when the line has no Learner
A teaching, on this reading, has a Teacher, a Learner, and a Content. They are not three equal sisters of one German verb. Voice adds the Teacher. Low Appl introduces the Learner. The root’s complement is the Content: a noun phrase, or, where a source prints one, an infinitive or a clause. The case of the Learner and the case of the Content are not the same on every lemma. beibringen’s bei is a separable particle. It is not a fourth argument.
What is different from the English gloss. PONS prints one English frame, to teach sb sth, twice. One German line is jdm etw beibringen. The other is jdn in etw Dat unterrichten. Langenscheidt glosses lehren as teach and prints the double accusative as to teach sb a language. The fine difference among those frames is the case. The Learner is accusative on lehren and on unterrichten, and dative on beibringen. The Content is accusative on lehren and on beibringen, and an in+dative phrase on unterrichten when the Learner is in the same clause. Two limits sit on that sentence. lehren also prints a dative Learner, and Duden, the WDG, Langenscheidt, and Duden’s Sprachratgeber do not give that dative the same label. unterrichten also prints an accusative of the subject when no Learner is in the clause. No entry checked here prints a German an or zu of the Learner.
The three-place lines do not stack every marking in one clause. Duden’s double accusative of lehren, WDG’s jmdn. … etw., and Langenscheidt’s jemanden … eine Sprache print the Learner and a nominal Content. The bare infinitive is a different line: Duden jemanden schwimmen lehren, WDG er hat mich schwimmen gelehrt. PONS’s two glosses of to teach sb sth are the other two lemmas, not a second frame of lehren.
Printed lehren frame · accusative Learner · accusative Content
✓ jemanden, auch jemandem etwas lehren Duden online · grammar box · the auch is Duden’s
someone, also to someone · something · teach
Printed beibringen frame · dative Learner · accusative Content
✓ jemandem Italienisch beibringen Duden online · beibringen sense 1
to someone · Italian · teach
Printed unterrichten frame · accusative Learner · in + dative
✓ er unterrichtet uns in Mathematik Langenscheidt · German–English · unterrichten
he teaches us mathematics
| Place | Introduced by (working) | German marking | Case status | English marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher | Spec,Voice | subject of lehren, beibringen, and unterrichten | structural subject | subject of teach |
| Learner · lehren | low Appl | accusative in the active norm (jemanden, sie, die Kinder, mich, ihn) · dative is also printed (jemandem, ihr, den Kindern) | the accusative is the norm Duden’s Sprachratgeber states for the active · the dative’s label is veraltend or selten in Duden’s examples, auch in Duden’s grammar box, umg. in the WDG and in Langenscheidt · with a bare infinitive Duden’s grammar says aber nur the accusative, and one example still prints a rare dative | bare object of to teach sb in the glosses checked · no German an or zu is printed for this Learner |
| Learner · beibringen | low Appl | dative (jemandem, mir, jmdm., den Kindern, PONS jdm) | structural dative on the teaching sense · not a second accusative · an accusative Learner is unprinted on this sense | bare object of PONS to teach sb sth and of Langenscheidt he teaches me French |
| Learner · unterrichten | low Appl | accusative (die Schüler, die Klasse, ihre Kinder, die Oberstufe, uns, PONS jdn) | structural accusative in the lines that name a person or a class · a dative Learner is unprinted | bare object of PONS to teach sb and of he teaches us mathematics |
| Content · lehren | complement of the root | accusative noun (etwas, das Lesen, eine Sprache, Deutsch, Mathematik, den Dreisatz) · bare infinitive (lesen, schwimmen) · zu-infinitive when the infinitive is extended | Duden’s Sprachratgeber: the thing taught is always accusative, when it is a noun · the infinitive is the other printed complement, not a second noun · the object inside that infinitive (ein Pferd in ein Pferd satteln) is not an argument of lehren | a language, chemistry, to read, how to read in Langenscheidt’s glosses |
| Content · beibringen | complement of the root | accusative (Italienisch, Französisch, das Lesen, Schwimmen, Tanzen, [das] Schwimmen) · wie-clause · zu-infinitive | structural accusative when the Content is a noun · the brackets on [das] are Duden’s · in+dative is unprinted on this sense | French, (how) to dance, to read/write as das Lesen/Schreiben in PONS |
| Content · unterrichten | complement of the root, or in | in+dative beside a Learner (in Mathematik, in Englisch, im Malen, im Zeichnen, PONS in etw Dat) · accusative of the subject when the line has no Learner (Mathematik, Physik, Geschichte, Klavier) · in+dative is also printed with no Learner (in Englisch, in Russisch und Mathematik) | the visible dative is im (in + dem) · a bare Englisch or Mathematik after in does not spell an ending · PONS labels that phrase dative · a second accusative beside the Learner is unprinted | bare mathematics / history / French in the English gloss, against the German in-phrase or against the accusative of the subject |
Marking map. One letter can belong to several heads. Read the lemma, then the marker.
Each row lines up one English slot with a German slot. The alignment type says what happens to the slot: = (same object status), or shift (a bare English object ↔ a German dative, or ↔ an in-phrase). Printed dictionary lines come first. Every other German sentence is constructed, modelled on a printed line. They show the working alignment, not frequency, and not a bilingual corpus.
| Slot | EN form | DE form | Align | EN example | DE example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher | SUBJ of teach | subject | = | he teaches me French Langenscheidt · gloss of beibringen | er bringt mir Französisch bei Langenscheidt |
| Learner · lehren | bare object of teach sb a language | accusative · dative also printed | = for the accusative object · the dative is the printed variant | to teach sb a language Langenscheidt | jemanden (umg auch jemandem) eine Sprache lehren Langenscheidt · umg is the entry’s label on the dative |
| Learner · beibringen | bare object of to teach sb sth | dative | shift · one German dative · the English gloss has no ending and no to | to teach sb sth PONS · first German line of that gloss | jdm etw beibringen PONS |
| Learner · unterrichten | bare object of to teach sb and of he teaches us mathematics | accusative | = | to teach sb PONS · he teaches us mathematics Langenscheidt | jdn unterrichten PONS · er unterrichtet uns in Mathematik Langenscheidt |
| Content · lehren | the thing, or to read | accusative, or an infinitive | = when the Content is the object · the infinitive is the other printed complement | to teach sb to read (or how to read) Langenscheidt · the or is the entry’s | jemanden lesen (oder das Lesen) lehren Langenscheidt · jemanden schwimmen lehren Duden |
| Content · beibringen | the thing, or to read/write | accusative, or a clause | = for the accusative noun | to teach sb to read/write PONS | jdm das Lesen/Schreiben beibringen PONS · jemandem das Tanzen beibringen Langenscheidt |
| Content · unterrichten | bare mathematics in the gloss of the in-phrase · bare French/history when no Learner is glossed | in+dative beside the Learner · accusative of the subject with no Learner | shift on the three-place line · = on the subject-only line | he teaches us mathematics Langenscheidt · to teach French/history PONS | er unterrichtet uns in Mathematik Langenscheidt · Französisch/Geschichte unterrichten PONS |
| an / zu of the Learner | not the gloss in the PONS or Langenscheidt lines read here | unprinted on all three lemmas | no German match in the entries checked | — | — |
| Accusative Learner of beibringen | the English object has no case ending | bare accusative Learner beside an accusative Content | unprinted · the printed Learner is dative | — | * Pat hat den Kollegen Italienisch beigebracht. constructed · not a dictionary line |
The strip below is a set of small multiples. Each card holds one frame, with English on top and German under it. The subject chip is the Teacher.
EN · DE · lehren
to teach somebody a language
jemanden (umg auch jemandem) eine Sprache lehren
DE · Langenscheidt · accusative Learner · the dative is the entry’s umg auch · EN gloss has no to
Move two accusatives · English spells neither ending
EN · DE · beibringen
to teach somebody something
jdm etw beibringen
DE · PONS · dative Learner · accusative Content · the same English gloss is also jdn in etw Dat unterrichten
Move the Learner is dative · the Content stays accusative
EN · DE · unterrichten
he teaches us mathematics
er unterrichtet uns in Mathematik
DE · Langenscheidt · accusative Learner · in + the subject · EN mathematics is bare
Move the Content is in+dative · the Learner stays accusative
EN · DE · accusative Learner of beibringen
—
* Pat hat den Kollegen Italienisch beigebracht.
DE constructed · starred · the printed Learner is jemandem
Move English has no case ending · beibringen prints a dative
Argument difference. English to teach sb sth is one gloss. PONS gives it two German frames, and Langenscheidt gives the double accusative of lehren the same kind of English object. DWDS lines the three up in one synonym row: (jemandem etwas) beibringen, (jemanden etwas) lehren, (jemanden) unterrichten (in). The Learner is the accusative of jemanden on lehren and on unterrichten, and the dative of jemandem on beibringen. The Content is the accusative of etwas on lehren and on beibringen, and the in-phrase on unterrichten. That row does not print lehren’s dative variant. The dictionary entries do.
Senses kept off this frame. lehren sense 3, and WDG sense 2, are “show”: die Geschichte lehrt, dass nichts Bestand hat. The threat line ich werde dich lehren … is inside Duden’s sense 2, with the gloss werde dir austreiben. beibringen sense 4 is “produce, adduce”: Duden bisher unbekanntes Material beibringen, WDG Beweise, Beispiele für etw. beibringen. There is no Learner in those lines. Sense 3 is injury or defeat: jemandem eine Niederlage, eine Schnittwunde beibringen. The dative there is not the Learner of the teaching sense. unterrichten sense 2 is “inform”: jemanden sofort von den Ereignissen, über die Ereignisse unterrichten. über there is accusative in Langenscheidt’s label. It is not the in+dative of the subject.
Dictionary frames and lines · checked · quoted as printed
jemanden lesen, tanzen, schwimmen lehren · jemanden/(veraltend:) jemandem das Reiten, Kochen, Schreiben lehren · sie lehrte die Kinder/(selten:) den Kindern malen · er lehrte ihn ein Pferd [zu] satteln · mir ist das/ich bin das in der Schule nicht gelehrt worden · sie lehrt Deutsch, Mathematik Duden online · lehren · brackets, the slash, veraltend, and selten are Duden’s
jemanden, auch jemandem etwas lehren · er lehrt sie, auch ihr das Lesen; aber nur: er lehrt sie lesen · sie hat ihn reiten gelehrt Duden online · grammar box · lehrt, lehrte, hat gelehrt
Die Sache, die gelehrt wird, steht immer im Akkusativ: Die Lehrerin lehrte die Kinder den Dreisatz. · Die Lehrerin lehrte die Kinder lesen. · Die Lehrerin lehrte den Kindern die Feinheiten der deutschen Sprache. · Ihnen wurden die Feinheiten der deutschen Sprache gelehrt. · Er wurde lesen gelehrt. · Die Lehrerin hatte viele Kinder gelehrt. Duden Sprachratgeber · „Das Verb ‚lehren‘“ · the accusative of the person is called the norm in the active · the dative of the person is called the case of choice in the passive · the nominative of the person in Er wurde lesen gelehrt is also called correct
jmdn., umg. jmdm. etw. l. · er hat mich gutes Deutsch gelehrt · wer hat dich das gelehrt? · die neue Lehrerin lehrte die Mädchen das Stricken · im Passiv meist mit Dat. der Pers. statt Nom. · mir wurde Latein gelehrt · die Mutter lehrt ihr Kind sprechen · er hat mich schwimmen gelehrt · er lehrte mich, pünktlich (zu) sein DWDS · WDG text · l. is the entry’s abbreviation · umg. is the entry’s label on the dative
(jemandem etwas) beibringen · (jemanden etwas) lehren · (jemanden) unterrichten (in) DWDS · lehren · synonym row · the parentheses are the entry’s
jemandem Italienisch beibringen · du hast mir [das] Schwimmen beigebracht · kannst du mir beibringen, wie man die Maschine bedient? · bisher unbekanntes Material beibringen · jemandem eine Niederlage, eine Schnittwunde beibringen Duden online · beibringen · sense 1 is the teaching frame · senses 3 and 4 stay off it · bringt bei, brachte bei, hat beigebracht
⟨jmdm. etw. beibringen⟩ jmdn. etw. lehren · jmdm. das Lesen, Schwimmen, Tanzen beibringen · sie brachte den Kindern bei, höflich zu sein · Beweise, Beispiele für etw. beibringen DWDS · WDG text of beibringen · the proof line is sense 4, not the teaching frame
sie unterrichtet Mathematik · er unterrichtet in Englisch · er unterrichtet die Oberstufe · sie unterrichtet ihre Kinder im Malen · jemanden sofort von den Ereignissen, über die Ereignisse unterrichten Duden online · unterrichten · the von/über line is sense 2, inform · unterrichtet, unterrichtete, hat unterrichtet
der Lehrer unterrichtet die Schüler der zwölften Klasse · er unterrichtete die Klasse in Englisch, im Zeichnen · ich unterrichtete in Russisch und Mathematik · er unterrichtet Physik · er hat uns sofort über die Sache, von dem Vorgang unterrichtet · die Polizei wurde über das Ereignis unterrichtet DWDS · WDG text of unterrichten · the über/von lines and the wurde line are the inform sense
jemanden (umg auch jemandem) eine Sprache lehren · jemanden lesen (oder das Lesen) lehren · wer hat dich das gelehrt? · wir sind gelehrt worden, bescheiden zu sein · Chemie lehren Langenscheidt German–English · lehren · editorial examples · external sentences on that page are marked there as unchecked and are not quoted here
jemandem das Tanzen beibringen · er bringt mir Französisch bei Langenscheidt · beibringen · editorial · separable
er unterrichtet uns in Mathematik · er unterrichtet Geschichte am Gymnasium · Klavier [Flöte] unterrichten · jemand unterrichtet jemanden über (Akkusativ) (oder von) etwas Langenscheidt · unterrichten · editorial · the Akkusativ label is the entry’s, on über of the inform sense · inseparable, no ge-
to teach sb sth → jdm etw beibringen · to teach sb sth → jdn in etw Dat unterrichten · to teach sb → jdn unterrichten · to teach French/history → Französisch/Geschichte unterrichten · to teach sb to read/write → jdm das Lesen/Schreiben beibringen · dich werde ich das Lügen lehren PONS English–German · teach · the double accusative of lehren is the idiom line, not the first gloss of to teach sb sth
✓ Früher hatte ich gedacht, ihn die Welt lehren zu müssen. DWDS usage · Ingeborg Bachmann, Das dreißigste Jahr, as DWDS prints the line, Piper 1961, S. 78 · accusative ihn · accusative die Welt
Strings below are constructed, modelled on the printed lines. They are not spontaneous-speech citations and not dictionary lines. Pat continues the named-participant series on leihen. A name does not spell case. den Kollegen spells accusative. den Kindern spells dative. Italienisch follows Duden’s beibringen line. das Lesen follows Duden’s grammar box. in Mathematik follows Langenscheidt.
✓ Pat hat die Kinder das Lesen gelehrt.
constructed · accusative Learner modelled on Duden’s sie and WDG’s die Mädchen · das Lesen is Duden’s grammar box
✓ Pat hat sie schwimmen gelehrt.
constructed · modelled on WDG er hat mich schwimmen gelehrt and Duden jemanden schwimmen lehren · the infinitive is the Content
✓ Pat hat ihnen Italienisch beigebracht.
constructed · dative modelled on Duden’s jemandem and Langenscheidt’s mir · Italienisch is Duden’s · bei is inside beigebracht
✓ Pat unterrichtet die Kinder in Mathematik.
constructed · modelled on Langenscheidt’s er unterrichtet uns in Mathematik and Duden’s ihre Kinder im Malen · im Malen is the line that shows the dative ending
* Pat hat den Kollegen Italienisch beigebracht.
constructed · accusative Learner · the printed Learner of this sense is dative · the same accusative is the norm on lehren, and it is not starred there
* Pat unterrichtet den Kindern Mathematik.
constructed · dative Learner and a bare accusative subject beside it · the printed Learner is accusative, and the printed subject beside a Learner is in+dative · a bare accusative of the subject with no Learner is a different printed line and is not starred
V2 and the participle are operations on the same places. They do not add a participant. lehren is the lemma that prints a werden-passive of the teaching frame. The question is which of the two accusatives becomes the subject.
Both promotions are printed. wurde is the preterite of the werden-passive. ist … worden and sind … worden are its perfect. The WDG says the passive is usually with the dative of the person instead of the nominative, and prints mir wurde Latein gelehrt. The Content is the subject. The Learner stays dative. Duden’s Sprachratgeber calls that dative the case of choice in the passive: Ihnen wurden die Feinheiten der deutschen Sprache gelehrt. The same article prints the other promotion and calls it correct as well, if one starts from the accusative of the active: Er wurde lesen gelehrt. The Learner is the subject. The infinitive stays. Duden’s dictionary line prints both in one slash: mir ist das/ich bin das in der Schule nicht gelehrt worden. In the first half, das is the subject and the person is dative. In the second, the person is the subject and das stays accusative. Langenscheidt prints the Learner as the subject of an infinitival Content: wir sind gelehrt worden, bescheiden zu sein.
The sources do not reduce this to one promotion. “Usually” and “the case of choice” are the WDG’s and the Sprachratgeber’s words for the dative of the person. The nominative of the person is printed beside them, including with an accusative Content still in the clause. Which accusative promotes stays open as a ranking of two printed passives. Nothing further is constructed.
beibringen and unterrichten. No editorial line checked here is a werden-passive of the teaching sense of either verb. Nothing is constructed. The inform passive die Polizei wurde über das Ereignis unterrichtet and Langenscheidt’s ich bin davon nicht unterrichtet worden promote the person of the inform sense. They are not evidence about in Mathematik.
Particles. lehren has none: lehrt, lehrte, hat gelehrt. After a bare infinitive Duden prints the participle, sie hat ihn reiten gelehrt. unterrichten has none: unterrichtet, unterrichtete, hat unterrichtet. Langenscheidt marks it inseparable and without ge-. beibringen separates: bringt bei, brachte bei, hat beigebracht. WDG prints the stranding in sie brachte den Kindern bei, höflich zu sein. The particle is not the Content.
Each sketch is a working drawing, not a locked analysis. The drawing gives the Teacher to Voice, the Learner to low Appl, and the Content to the root. The case changes with the lemma. Open one sketch at a time. Which phrase is the structural object, when lehren has two accusatives, is the passive question in voice. Which theta role is the object is the revisable note Causative templates and argument selection. This page does not edit that note.
Constructed · the finite verb in C · one external argument on each lemma
[CP Pat_1
[C' hat
[TP t_1
[VoiceP t_1 Voice ← Teacher = Spec,Voice
… lehren or beibringen … ]
T ]]]
✓ Pat hat die Kinder das Lesen gelehrt. constructed
✓ Pat hat ihnen Italienisch beigebracht. constructed · bei is inside the participle
On all three lemmas the external argument is the Teacher. English keeps that one subject on teach. German does not keep the Learner and the Content in one case frame under that subject.
lehren · accusative Learner · accusative or infinitival Content · the dative Learner is the printed variant, not this tree
[VoiceP Pat Voice
[ApplP_LOW [die Kinder]_ACC Appl ← Learner · accusative in the active norm
[VP √lehr-
[Content das Lesen ]_ACC ]]] ← Content · noun, or an infinitive
beibringen changes the Learner’s case. The Content stays the root’s complement.
[VoiceP Pat Voice
[ApplP_LOW [ihnen]_DAT Appl ← Learner · dative
[VP √bring-
[Content Italienisch ]_ACC
bei ]]] ← particle · not an argument
unterrichten, when the Learner is in the clause, keeps the Learner accusative and puts the Content in in.
[VoiceP Pat Voice
[ApplP_LOW [die Kinder]_ACC Appl ← Learner · accusative
[VP √unterricht-
[PP in [ Mathematik ]_DAT ]]]] ← Content · in + dative
✓ er lehrt sie, auch ihr das Lesen Duden · grammar box · accusative, and auch the dative
✓ jemandem Italienisch beibringen Duden · dative Learner
✓ sie unterrichtet ihre Kinder im Malen Duden · accusative Learner · im
* Pat hat den Kollegen Italienisch beigebracht. constructed · the Learner of beibringen is not a second accusative
Working · no English teach page is opened
[VoiceP Pat Voice ← Teacher
[ApplP_LOW the children Appl ← Learner · bare object in the glosses
[VP √TEACH
[Content reading ]]]] ← teach the children reading
· PONS: jdm etw beibringen
· or jdn in etw Dat unterrichten
· Langenscheidt lehren: to teach sb a language
The English glosses checked here spell one object for the Learner and one object, or an infinitive, for the Content. They do not spell the German dative, and they do not spell in. PONS prints both German frames under to teach sb sth. The double accusative of lehren is Langenscheidt’s teach, and it is not PONS’s first line for that gloss.
| Layer | teach (EN) · no page | lehren | beibringen | unterrichten |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spec,Voice | Teacher | Teacher | Teacher | Teacher |
| Learner | bare object in the glosses checked | accusative in the active norm · dative printed, labels disagree | dative | accusative |
| Content | bare object, or an infinitive | accusative, or an infinitive | accusative, a wie-clause, or a zu-infinitive | in+dative beside a Learner · accusative when no Learner is in the clause |
| passive of a teaching clause | unasserted here | both promotions printed · which accusative promotes stays open | unprinted in the editorial lines | unprinted for the teaching sense · the inform passive is a different sense |
On leihen the added argument is a dative Recipient and the accusative is the Theme. On beibringen the dative is the Learner and the accusative is the Content. On lehren that Learner is a second accusative in the active norm. On unterrichten the Learner is accusative and the Content, beside that Learner, is not a second accusative.
Working paper · October 2026 · German micro-entry · Beyond Index 2
Teaching in German is not one case frame. Teacher (Voice, subject), Learner (low Appl), Content (complement of the root). The Learner is accusative on lehren and on unterrichten, and dative on beibringen. The Content is accusative on lehren and on beibringen, and in+dative on unterrichten when the Learner is in the clause. lehren also prints a dative Learner. unterrichten also prints an accusative of the subject with no Learner. The werden-passive of lehren prints both promotions.
Not a flat grid of three sisters, and not one case frame copied from the English gloss. Voice adds the Teacher. Low Appl adds the Learner. The root takes the Content. The case of those two dependents is the lemma’s.
What German changes, against the English gloss, is that split. PONS’s to teach sb sth is jdm etw beibringen or jdn in etw Dat unterrichten. Langenscheidt’s to teach sb a language is the double accusative of lehren, with a dative Learner marked umg auch. The Learner is accusative on lehren and on unterrichten, and dative on beibringen. The Content is accusative on lehren and on beibringen, and an in+dative phrase on unterrichten when the Learner is in the clause.
Dictionary frames: Duden online lehren, beibringen, and unterrichten; Duden Sprachratgeber „Das Verb ‚lehren‘“; DWDS, the WDG text of the three lemmas, the synonym row on lehren, and the Bachmann usage line; Langenscheidt German–English, editorial examples only; PONS English–German teach. Constructed clauses put a printed case on a named teacher. The accusative Learner of beibringen is the working limit of the printed dative. Index 2 does not list these lemmas. German Transfer in Index 2 is tauschen; geben.
Records the accusative Learner of lehren and of unterrichten, the dative Learner of beibringen, the accusative Content of lehren and of beibringen, and the in+dative Content of unterrichten. Records both printed passives of lehren. Does not open unterweisen.