GermanSentence

C1statement24 words9 rules

From Ernteeinbußen wegen Hitze: Landwirtschaftsminister will Bauern helfen, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.

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Meaning

Because of the ongoing drought this summer, farmers are bracing themselves for considerable losses in the harvest – in some cases even total crop failures loom.

Word for word: The farmers make themselves because-of the continuing drought in this summer onto considerable losses at the harvest grasped – partly threaten even total-failures.

Farmers expect that this summer's drought will cost them much of their harvest; in some places they may lose everything. Typical of news or reportage style.

A main clause with the fixed expression 'sich auf etwas gefasst machen' (to brace oneself for something): 'machen' is conjugated in second position, 'sich' is the reflexive pronoun, 'auf erhebliche Einbußen' a prepositional object in the accusative, and 'gefassest'/'gefasst' a past participle functioning as part of the fixed predicate. 'wegen' governs the genitive ('der anhaltenden Trockenheit'), 'in diesem Sommer' and 'bei der Ernte' are dative phrases. After the dash, a second main clause shows verb-second order with the adverb 'teils' first.

Rules at work(9)

Words(20)

  • die

    the

    determinerA1definite

  • der Landwirt

    farmer

    nounB1pl. Landwirtegen. Landwirtesweak declension

  • machen

    to make, to do

    verbA1machen, machte, hat gemachtmit habenweak

    Part of many fixed expressions such as 'sich auf etwas gefasst machen'.

  • sich

    himself/herself/themselves, itself

    pronounA2reflexive

    Always refers back to the subject; here it is fixed to the verb 'sich mehren'.

  • wegen

    because of, due to

    prepositionA2governs genitive

    In colloquial speech often heard with the dative, but standard German uses the genitive.

  • anhaltend

    ongoing, persistent

    adjectiveB2

  • die Trockenheit

    dryness, drought

    nounB2pl. Trockenheitengen. Trockenheitstrong declension

  • in

    in, into

    prepositionA1governs accusative or dative

    Dative for location, accusative for direction.

  • dieser

    this, that

    determinerA2demonstrative

    Takes the same endings as the definite article; the dative neuter form is "diesem".

  • der Sommer

    summer

    nounA1pl. Sommergen. des Sommersstrong declension

  • auf

    on, onto

    prepositionA1governs accusative or dative

    Location takes the dative, movement towards the accusative.

  • erheblich

    considerable, substantial

    adjectiveB2erheblicher, am erheblichsten

  • die Einbuße

    loss, reduction

    nounC1pl. Einbußengen. Einbußemixed declension

    Almost always used in the plural ('Einbußen') when talking about losses.

  • bei

    at, near, with

    prepositionA2governs dative

    'bei 42 Prozent' = 'at 42 percent', standard in poll reporting.

  • die Ernte

    harvest, crop

    nounA2pl. Erntengen. Erntestrong declension

  • fassen

    to grasp, to catch, to compose (oneself)

    verbB1fassen, fasste, hat gefasstmit habenweak

    In this sentence only found inside the fixed expression 'sich auf etwas gefasst machen'.

  • teils

    partly, in some cases

    adverbB2degree

    Often paired as 'teils … teils' meaning 'partly … partly'.

  • drohen

    to threaten, to loom

    verbB1drohen, drohte, hat gedrohtmit habenweak

    With a nominative danger it means the danger is imminent, not that someone threatens someone.

  • sogar

    even

    particleB1

  • der Totalausfall

    total failure, complete write-off

    nounC1pl. Totalausfällegen. Totalausfallsstrong declension