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From Robert Koch-Institut: Vier von zehn Erwachsenen schlafen zu wenig, tagesschau.de, 20 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
According to the survey, significantly more men than women are affected.
Word for word: Affected are the survey according-to clearly more men than women.
It reports a survey finding: more men than women are affected by whatever was asked about. Typical of news or report style.
The sentence opens with the predicative adjective 'betroffen', so the finite verb 'sind' must come second to keep verb-second word order. 'Der Befragung' is dative singular governed by the postposition 'zufolge'. 'Mehr ... als' is a comparative construction comparing numbers of men and women.
Rules at work(5)
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Betroffen sind
The fronted predicative adjective occupies first position, forcing the finite verb into second place.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
der Befragung zufolge
The postposition 'zufolge' governs the dative when it follows its noun phrase.
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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mehr Männer als Frauen
'mehr ... als' is the standard German pattern for expressing inequality between two quantities.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
Betroffen sind
'sein' plus the participle-adjective 'betroffen' forms a stative construction describing an affected state without a passive process.
Man plus an active verb, sich lassen plus an infinitive, and sein plus an infinitive with zu all express what a passive would, and all three are commoner in speech than the werden passive.
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Männer ... sind
Plural subject 'Männer' requires the plural form 'sind'.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(10)
- betroffen
affected, concerned
adjectiveB1
Often used predicatively with 'sein': 'X ist betroffen' = X is affected. Also means 'disturbed/concerned' about something.
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- die Befragung
survey, questioning
nounB2pl. Befragungengen. Befragungweak declension
- zufolge
according to
prepositionB2governs genitive
Follows its noun phrase: 'den Angaben zufolge'; governs the dative.
- deutlich
clearly, distinctly, significantly
adverbB1modal
- viel
much, more (comparative 'mehr')
adverbA1degree
'mehr' is the fixed comparative form of both 'viel' and 'gut'; it never takes '-er'.
- der Mann
man
nounA1pl. Männergen. Mannesstrong declension
Irregular plural with umlaut: Männer.
- als
as, than, when (past)
conjunctionA2correlative
here 'als Land' means 'as a country'; also used for comparisons and after 'als' in past-time clauses
- die Frau
woman, Mrs
nounA1pl. Frauengen. Frauweak declension