and / or ▁its ▁associated ▁article — inst ead ▁of ▁indicating ▁this ▁meaning ▁through ▁word ▁order ▁or ▁pre pos itions ▁( e . g . ▁English , ▁Spanish , ▁French ). ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁German ▁can ▁take ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁fluid ▁approach ▁to ▁word ▁order ▁without ▁the ▁meaning ▁being ▁obsc ured . ▁In ▁English , ▁a ▁simple ▁sentence ▁must ▁be ▁written ▁in ▁strict ▁word ▁order ▁( ex . ▁A ▁man ▁e ats ▁an ▁apple ). ▁This ▁sentence ▁cannot ▁be ▁expressed ▁in ▁any ▁other ▁word ▁order ▁than ▁how ▁it ▁is ▁written ▁here ▁without ▁changing ▁the ▁meaning . ▁A ▁translation ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁sentence ▁from ▁German ▁to ▁English ▁would ▁appear ▁rather ▁different ▁( ex . ▁" E in ▁Mann ▁is st ▁einen ▁Ap fel " ▁( a ▁man )- subject ▁e ats ▁( an ▁apple )- direct object ) ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁expressed ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁word ▁order ▁( ex . ▁" E inen ▁Ap fel ▁is st ▁ein ▁Mann ▁( an ▁apple )- direct object ▁is ▁e aten ▁by ▁( a ▁man )- subject ) ▁with ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁change ▁in ▁meaning . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁fus ional ▁language , ▁German ▁marks ▁n oun s , ▁pron oun s , ▁articles , ▁and ▁ad ject ives ▁to ▁distinguish ▁case , ▁number , ▁and ▁gender . ▁For ▁example , ▁all ▁German ▁ad ject ives ▁have ▁several ▁different ▁forms . ▁The ▁ad jective ▁neu ▁( new ), ▁for ▁example , ▁can ▁be ▁written ▁in ▁five ▁different ▁ways ▁( ne ue , ▁ne uer ,