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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.
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)
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Die Landwirte machen
In both main clauses the finite verb stands in second position; in the second clause the adverb 'teils' comes first and pushes 'drohen' to 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.
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wegen der anhaltenden Trockenheit
'wegen' governs the genitive, so the noun phrase appears as 'der anhaltenden Trockenheit'.
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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auf erhebliche Einbußen
The expression 'sich auf etwas gefasst machen' fixes the preposition 'auf' with the accusative for what one braces oneself for.
Many verbs are tied to one preposition and one case, and the pairing rarely matches the English one. Warten auf takes the accusative, denken an takes the accusative, teilnehmen an takes the dative.
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Die Landwirte machen
The plural subject 'Landwirte' takes the plural finite form 'machen'; likewise 'drohen' agrees with plural 'Totalausfälle'.
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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machen
Both clauses use the present tense to describe a current situation and its looming consequences.
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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in diesem Sommer
'in' with a point in time takes the dative, giving 'diesem Sommer'; 'bei der Ernte' likewise shows 'bei' with dative.
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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machen sich
The idiom uses the reflexive pronoun 'sich' referring back to the subject 'Landwirte'.
A reflexive verb takes a pronoun pointing back at the subject. The pronoun is usually accusative, but it turns dative as soon as the verb has another direct object, which is why it is ich wasche mich but ich wasche mir die Hände.
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Totalausfälle
The subject of the second clause stands in the nominative plural.
The nominative marks the subject of the clause: whoever or whatever is doing the verb. It is also the case used after the verbs sein, werden and bleiben, so both sides of Das ist mein Bruder stand in the nominative.
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Totalausfälle
'Totalausfall' is a compound of 'total' and 'Ausfall', 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(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