"It is eating an apple."

Translation: Es isst einen Apfel.

[cmg3001]

but we haven't learned about accusative case yet...

[tabake]

Please, is there anybody who could explain the accusative and nominative to us

[Hohenems]

http://coerll.utexas.edu/gg/gr/cas_01.html
http://german.about.com/library/blcase_sum.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_grammar#Cases

If you need further reading, Google "German cases".

Hope that helps!

[tabake]

Thank you sir !

[Hohenems]

De rien!

Maybe this will help more? http://fr.wikibooks.org/wiki/Grammaire_allemande#Les_d.C3.A9clinaisons

[tabake]

perfect ! Danke schön

[swanimag]

for 'it' use 'es' and for she/they use sie

[Cracker66]

Is not frissen correct for non-humans?

[silvermoonstar3]

I thought it was fressen, but I know what you mean. I thought it was really odd to see the sentence as it is.

[theblackcahoosh]

Anyone else go with "es ist isst einen apfel"?.. I mean, right?

[koiboyy]

You don't need to say ist for is because isst already means "is eating".

[Uberfly]

Why is it "einen" instead of "eine" Apfel?

[Hohenems]

Apfel is masculine. Ein Apfel. In this sentence the apple is in the accusative case so it is "einen Apfel". Here is the chart for the "ein" words...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_articles

[AbbieBiggin]

Because an apple is masculine, therefore you have to use einen. If it was feminine you would have to use eine.

[Ellamac9]

what is the difference between "er" and "es"!!!???

[MichaelGar858396]

Er = he, Es = it. I'm pretty sure at least.

[Ellamac9]

thanks MichaelGar858396!

[koiboyy]

When is it Ein and not Einen? There are problem before where it ended in "ein Mann" and it was correct that way.

I think it has something to do with the positioning of the words, but not sure.

[noor.anker]

When do we use "einen" and "eine"?!?!?!!

[gorn61]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_articles

[XxRiotxX]

When do you use Ein, einen, eine? I have no idea

[Theirgracegrace]

ein- Neutrum (neuter)
ie. ein Kind

also can be maennlich (masculine)
ie. ein Mann

however, Mann can also be einen Mann (ie. Sie hat einen Mann)
the difference: in the first case, Mann is in what Germans call the Nominativ, (the subject). In the second example, Mann is in the Akkusativ (an object). To show it is an object, German use einen instead of ein

eine- weiblich (feminine)
ie. eine Frau
The unfortunate part is you pretty much have to memorize these.

[RebeccaGood]

How would you tell if someone meant "Es ist Brot" or "Es isst Brot"?

[Theirgracegrace]

Usually, the context would usually clear it up. For example, if I asked "Was ist das?" (what is it), you would say "es ist Brot." Conversely, if I asked "Was isst es?" (what is it eating), you would say "es isst Brot."

[ErwinHartmann]

I mistakenly put "Das isst einen Apfel", but it was correct. Why?

[barahonad]

Why is einen if Apfel is feminin?

[Theirgracegrace]

It is not. It is masculine.

[firosit]

Wrong i guess