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Second sentence of Merz im Waldbrandgebiet: Der Kanzler zeigt sich wieder, tagesschau.de, 22 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
But now he is back again - in the forest fire area in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Word for word: Yet now is he again there - in the forest-fire-area in NRW.
The speaker notes that someone or something has returned, specifically to the forest fire region in North Rhine-Westphalia; typical of news reporting.
A main clause with verb-second word order: the adverbial 'Doch nun' occupies the first position, so the finite verb 'ist' comes second and the subject 'er' follows it. 'Da' is a local adverb functioning as predicate complement. The prepositional phrase 'im Waldgebiet' (in + dem contracted to im) gives the location, dative after the two-way preposition 'in'.
Rules at work(4)
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Doch nun ist er
The fronted adverbials doch nun push the finite verb ist into second position with the subject following.
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? -
ist
The single finite verb ist is 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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
im Waldbrandgebiet
in takes dative here because it describes a static location rather than movement into.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
er
The pronoun er is nominative because it is the subject of ist.
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(9)
- doch
yet, nevertheless, still
adverbA2modal
Sentence-initial doch signals contrast with what was said before, not the answer 'yes it is'.
- nun
now, at this point
adverbA2temporal
Often signals a new stage in narration rather than plain 'now'.
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- er
he
pronounA1personal
- wieder
again, once more
adverbA1temporal
Do not confuse with wider 'against'.
- da
there, then, so, because (subordinating)
adverbA1local
As a sentence-opening adverb it often has causal force: 'that is why'.
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- das Waldbrandgebiet
forest fire area, area affected by wildfire
nounC1pl. Waldbrandgebietegen. Waldbrandgebietesstrong declension
- die NRW
North Rhine-Westphalia (German state)
nounB1pl. -gen. NRWsinvariable declension