GermanSentence

B2statement9 words6 rules

Opening sentence of Testzentrum in Sachsen-Anhalt: So können Drohnen im Katastrophenfall helfen, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.

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Meaning

Today a new research centre for drone defence is being opened.

Word for word: Today is a new research-centre to-the drone-defence opened.

A formal announcement, e.g. in news or at an event: the opening of the centre takes place today; the doer of the action is not mentioned.

The sentence is in the present-tense passive (werden + past participle). 'Wird' occupies the second position as required by verb-second word order, and the participle 'eröffnet' stands at the end. The subject 'ein neues Forschungszentrum' is nominative; 'zur' contracts 'zu der', the dative after the purpose preposition 'zu'.

Rules at work(6)

Words(8)

  • heute

    today

    adverbA1temporal

  • werden

    become, will (future auxiliary)

    verbA2werden, wurde, ist gewordenmit habenirregular

    Also the passive auxiliary; do not confuse with bekommen (= receive).

  • ein

    a, an, one

    determinerA1indefinite

    The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.

  • neu

    new

    adjectiveA1

  • das Forschungszentrum

    research centre

    nounB2pl. Forschungszentrengen. Forschungszentrumsstrong declension

  • zu

    to, at, too

    prepositionA1governs dative

    With verbs of movement it takes dative even though motion is involved.

  • die Drohnenabwehr

    drone defence, anti-drone defence

    nounC1pl. Drohnenabwehrengen. Drohnenabwehrmixed declension

  • eröffnen

    to open (officially), to inaugurate

    verbB1eröffnen, eröffnete, hat eröffnetmit habenweak