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From Nord-Stream-Pipelines: Ein Anschlag mit politischer Sprengkraft?, tagesschau.de, 20 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
But three of the four pipelines are destroyed.
Word for word: Yet three of the four pipelines are destroyed.
Used when reporting damage or status, e.g. about infrastructure: three out of four pipelines have been destroyed. 'Doch' signals a contrast with what was said or expected before.
A statement with the adverb 'doch' in first position, so the verb 'sind' stays second (verb-second rule). The subject is the numeral phrase 'drei der vier Pipelines', where 'drei' takes a partitive genitive ('der vier Pipelines'). The predicate is the copula 'sein' plus the adjective 'zerstört' used as a predicative participle, so it has no ending.
Rules at work(5)
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Doch ... sind
'Doch' occupies first position, so the finite verb 'sind' must come second.
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? -
drei ... sind
The subject 'drei' is plural, so the copula takes 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.
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sind
The state of being destroyed is described with the present tense of 'sein'.
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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der vier Pipelines
The numeral 'drei' takes a partitive genitive complement: three of the four pipelines.
The genitive shows possession and follows a small set of prepositions. Masculine and neuter nouns add s or es. In speech it is often replaced by von plus the dative, but it is alive in writing and in fixed expressions.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
drei der vier Pipelines
The whole numeral phrase is the subject of 'sind' and therefore 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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(7)
- doch
yet, nevertheless, still
adverbA2modal
Sentence-initial doch signals contrast with what was said before, not the answer 'yes it is'.
- drei
three
numeralA1
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- vier
four
numeralA1
- die Pipeline
pipeline
nounB2pl. Pipelinesgen. Pipelinemixed declension
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- zerstört
destroyed, ruined
adjectiveB1zerstörter, am zerstörtesten