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Third sentence of Unfälle mit E-Scootern: "Jeder Helm ist eine Hilfe", tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
The surgeon Michael Zyskowski explains what makes the e-scooters dangerous and which measures could help.
Word for word: Surgeon Michael Zyskowski explains, what the scooters dangerous makes and which measures help could.
Typical journalistic lead-in to an expert interview: a doctor describes why e-scooters are risky and what countermeasures might work.
A main clause with verb-second order introduces two indirect questions without an explicit subordinating conjunction; the interrogatives 'was' and 'welche' act as connectors, so both embedded clauses keep verb-final order ('macht', 'helfen könnten'). The second clause uses the modal 'könnten' in subjunctive II for a hypothetical suggestion. The definite article 'die' marks a specific plural set of scooters.
Rules at work(6)
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Zyskowski erklärt
The finite verb 'erklärt' occupies the second position of the declarative main clause.
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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was die Roller gefährlich macht ... welche Maßnahmen helfen könnten
Both indirect questions are embedded clauses whose finite verbs ('macht', 'könnten') stand at the end.
In a subordinate clause the finite verb stands last. Where the clause also holds a participle or an infinitive, the finite verb goes after them, so the order at the end is participle then auxiliary.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
erklärt, was ... und welche ...
The interrogatives 'was' and 'welche' introduce reported questions without a subordinating conjunction like 'ob'.
A question inside another sentence becomes a subordinate clause and its verb moves to the end. A question word introduces it, and where there is none, ob does the job.
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helfen könnten
'Könnten' is subjunctive II, marking the measures as hypothetical possibilities rather than facts.
The form for the hypothetical, the unreal and the polite. Wäre, hätte and the modals have their own forms; most other verbs use würde plus an infinitive.
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die Roller
'Die Roller' is the direct object of 'macht', so it appears in the plural accusative.
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action is done to. Only the masculine changes visibly, from der to den and from ein to einen, which is why the masculine is where accusative errors show.
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helfen könnten
The modal 'können' governs the bare infinitive 'helfen' 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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(14)
- der Chirurg
surgeon
nounC1pl. Chirurgengen. Chirurgenweak declension
- der Michael
Michael (name)
nounA1pl. Michaelsgen. Michaelsstrong declension
- der Zyskowski
Zyskowski (surname)
nounC2pl. Zyskowskisgen. Zyskowskisstrong declension
- erklären
to explain, to declare
verbA1erklären, erklärte, hat erklärtmit habenweak
- was
what, which
pronounA1interrogative
Was is used as a relative pronoun after das, alles, etwas, nichts and superlatives.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- der Roller
scooter, (e-)scooter
nounB1pl. Rollergen. Rollersstrong declension
In traffic contexts usually short for E-Scooter; also roller skate in 'Roller schaufen'.
- gefährlich
dangerous
adjectiveA2gefährlicher, am gefährlichsten
- machen
to make, to do
verbA1machen, machte, hat gemachtmit habenweak
Part of many fixed expressions such as 'sich auf etwas gefasst machen'.
- und
and
conjunctionA1coordinating
- welch-
which, what
determinerA2interrogative
Takes the same endings as der/die/das and is used in both direct and indirect questions.
- die Maßnahme
measure, action, step
nounB2pl. Maßnahmengen. Maßnahmestrong declension
- helfen
to help
verbA1helfen, half, hat geholfenmit habenstronggoverns dative
'helfen' takes a dative object: 'Ich helfe dir.' not 'Ich helfe dich.'
- können
can, be able to, may, might (as könnte)
verbA1können, konnte, hat gekonntmit habenmodal
könnte is the Konjunktiv II and softens a claim into a possibility.