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Third sentence of Eröffnung in Cochstedt: Forschungszentrum soll Drohnenabwehr verbessern, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
In view of the growing danger posed by drones, the federal government intends to step up its defences even further.
Word for word: In-view-of the growing danger through drones wants the federal government with-the defence still stronger to-arm-up.
The sentence reports that, because of the increasing threat from drones, the German federal government plans to expand its drone-defence capabilities even more. Typical of news or political reporting.
A verb-second main clause. The fronted prepositional phrase 'Angesichts der wachsenden Gefahr durch Drohnen' occupies the first position, so the finite verb 'will' (3rd singular present of 'wollen') comes second and the subject 'die Bundesregierung' follows. 'Angesichts' governs the genitive ('der ... Gefahr'), 'durch' the accusative ('Drohnen'), and 'bei' the dative ('der Abwehr'). 'Wachsenden' is present participle of 'wachsen' used attributively with a weak adjective ending after the definite article. 'Aufrüsten' is a separable verb; in an infinitive construction the prefix stays attached, and the infinitive closes the clause.
Rules at work(13)
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Angesichts ... will die Bundesregierung
The fronted prepositional phrase fills the first position, so the finite verb 'will' must stand second and the subject follows it.
In a German main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but it can just as easily be a time expression, an object or a whole subordinate clause; whatever it is, it counts as one element and the verb follows it. This is why putting something other than the subject first pushes the subject after the verb.
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Angesichts der wachsenden Gefahr
'Angesichts' is one of the prepositions that always govern the genitive.
Während, wegen, trotz, statt and a longer list in formal writing take the genitive, though the dative is widely heard with them in speech.
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wachsenden
The present participle of 'wachsen' is used attributively before a noun and declines like an adjective.
Both participles can stand before a noun and take ordinary adjective endings. The past participle is passive in sense, the present participle active: das gekochte Ei against das kochende Wasser.
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aufrüsten
'Aufrüsten' is separable ('rüstet ... auf'), but in the infinitive after a modal the prefix stays attached and the infinitive closes the clause.
Some verbs carry a prefix that detaches in a main clause and moves to the very end: aufstehen becomes Ich stehe um sieben auf. The prefix is stressed, which is what tells a separable prefix from an inseparable one. In a subordinate clause and in the infinitive the verb stays whole.
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die Bundesregierung will
Third-person singular subject takes the 3sg present form 'will'.
The finite verb takes an ending that matches its subject in person and number. The endings for regular verbs in the present are e, st, t, en, t, en.
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will
German uses the present tense of 'wollen' to express a present intention about the future.
The present describes what is happening now, what happens habitually, and very often what is going to happen, since German uses the present with a time expression where English would use a future.
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durch Drohnen
'Durch' governs the accusative, hence plural 'Drohnen'.
Durch, für, gegen, ohne and um always take the accusative, whatever they mean and whatever follows them.
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bei der Abwehr
'Bei' always governs the dative, hence 'der Abwehr'.
Aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu always take the dative. Several of them contract with the article: von dem becomes vom, zu der becomes zur.
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der wachsenden Gefahr
After the definite article the attributive adjective takes the weak ending -en in genitive singular feminine.
After a definite article the adjective ending is e in the five nominative and accusative singular slots and en everywhere else, because the article has already shown the case and gender.
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will ... aufrüsten
The modal 'wollen' takes a bare infinitive at the end of the clause.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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noch stärker
'Noch' intensifies the comparative 'stärker', meaning 'even more strongly'.
German adds er and st rather than using more and most, however long the adjective. Many one syllable adjectives take an umlaut, and the superlative before a noun takes an ordinary adjective ending while a standalone one uses am plus sten.
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Drohnen
'Drohne' is a weak noun taking -n in the accusative plural.
A group of masculine nouns takes an n or en in every case but the nominative singular: der Student but den Studenten, dem Studenten, des Studenten. Most denote people and many end in e, ent, ist or ant.
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Bundesregierung
A compound of 'Bund' + 'Regierung' written as one word.
German builds long nouns by joining shorter ones. The last part carries the gender and the plural, and everything before it modifies what follows, so a compound is read from the right.
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Words(13)
- angesichts
in view of, given
prepositionC1governs genitive
Formal written preposition; always followed by the genitive.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- die Gefahr
danger, hazard
nounB1pl. Gefahrengen. Gefahrstrong declension
- durch
through, by means of
prepositionA2governs accusative
With the passive, 'durch' names the actual agent, unlike 'von'.
- die Drohne
drone, drone aircraft
nounB1pl. Drohnengen. Drohneweak declension
- wollen
to want, to want to
verbA1wollen, wollte, hat gewolltmit habenmodal
Wollen has no umlaut in its conjugation: ich will, wir wollen.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die Bundesregierung
federal government
nounB2pl. Bundesregierungengen. Bundesregierungstrong declension
- bei
at, near, with
prepositionA2governs dative
'bei 42 Prozent' = 'at 42 percent', standard in poll reporting.
- die Abwehr
defence, defense, repulsion
nounC1pl. Abwehrengen. Abwehrstrong declension
- noch
still, yet
adverbA1temporal
Before a comparative, 'noch stärker' means 'even stronger'.
- stark
strong, powerful
adjectiveA1stärker, am stärksten
- aufrüsten
to arm up, to step up (defences), to upgrade
verbC1aufrüsten, rüstete auf, hat aufgerüstetmit habenseparableweak
Separable verb: 'rüstet ... auf'; often used in military or technology contexts.