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Third sentence of Jahresbericht Medizinischer Dienst: Mehr Todesfälle durch Behandlungsfehler, tagesschau.de, 20 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
But the number of unreported cases is probably considerably higher.
Word for word: Yet the dark figure lies presumably clearly higher.
Used when discussing statistics: the official recorded figures understate the true extent of something (crime, infections, etc.), and the real total is likely much larger.
A simple main clause in the present tense. 'Doch' opens the sentence as a contrastive particle, so the finite verb 'liegt' takes second position and the subject 'die Dunkelziffer' follows it. 'vermutlich' and 'deutlich' are adverbs modifying the verb phrase and the comparative 'höher' respectively.
Rules at work(5)
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Doch die Dunkelziffer liegt
'Doch' occupies the first position, so the finite verb 'liegt' must come second even though 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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deutlich höher
'Höher' is the comparative of 'hoch', intensified by 'deutlich'; predicative comparatives take no ending.
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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liegt
The simple present is used for a current state, including statements about statistics.
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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die Dunkelziffer
The subject of the sentence appears in the nominative.
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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Dunkelziffer
A feminine compound of Dunkel + Ziffer 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(7)
- doch
yet, but, however
conjunctionA2coordinating
As a sentence-initial connector it signals contrast with what was said before; it does not mean English 'doch' of affirmative answers.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- die Dunkelziffer
number of unreported cases, dark figure
nounC1pl. Dunkelzifferngen. Dunkelzifferweak declension
Standard term in statistics and crime reporting for cases that never appear in official figures.
- liegen
to lie, to be situated, (of figures) to stand at
verbA1liegen, lag, ist gelegenmit seinstrong
With figures, 'liegen bei/um/über' means 'stand at/by above' — common in statistics and news.
- vermutlich
presumably, probably
adverbB1modal
- deutlich
clearly, distinctly, significantly
adverbB1modal
- hoch
high, tall
adjectiveA1höher, am höchsten
Irregular comparative höher.