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Second sentence of Feuer nicht unter Kontrolle: Waldbrände im Hohen Venn und im Schwarzwald, tagesschau.de, 17 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
In Monschau in the Eifel, 30 people had to leave their houses because of the heavy smoke.
Word for word: In Monschau in the Eifel had-to 30 people their houses because-of the strong smoke leave.
Reports that in the town of Monschau in the Eifel region, 30 people were forced to evacuate their homes due to heavy smoke, e.g. in a news report about a fire.
A main clause with the conjugated modal verb in second position (mussten, preterite of müssen); the main verb verlassen stands at the end as an infinitive, forming a double-infinitive-free modal construction. The place phrase 'In Monschau in der Eifel' occupies first position, so the subject '30 Menschen' follows the verb. 'wegen' governs the genitive ('des starken Rauchs'), and 'ihre Häuser' is a possessive determiner with accusative plural noun as direct object.
Rules at work(7)
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In Monschau in der Eifel mussten 30 Menschen
The fronted adverbial phrase occupies first position, so the finite verb mussten 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.
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mussten ... verlassen
The preterite modal mussten combines with the bare infinitive verlassen at the end of the clause.
The six modals können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen and mögen say something about the main verb rather than naming an action. The modal is the finite verb in second position and the main verb goes to the end of the clause as an infinitive.
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wegen des starken Rauchs
Wegen requires the genitive, shown by des starken Rauchs.
Während, wegen, trotz, statt and a longer list in formal writing take the genitive, though the dative is widely heard with them in speech.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
mussten
Modal verbs are normally used in the preterite rather than the perfect in written German.
The simple past is the written narrative past. In speech it survives mainly in sein, haben and the modals, where hatte and war are far commoner than the perfect forms.
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In Monschau in der Eifel
In takes dative here because it expresses static location.
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.
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des starken Rauchs
After the definite article des, the adjective takes the weak ending -en in the genitive masculine singular.
After a definite article the adjective ending is e in the five nominative and accusative singular slots and en everywhere else, because the article has already shown the case and gender.
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ihre Häuser
Ihre is a possessive determiner agreeing with the accusative plural noun Häuser.
Mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer and Ihr take their stem from the owner and their ending from the thing owned, which is why seine Mutter and ihr Vater are the way they are.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(13)
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- das Monschau
Monschau (town in the Eifel)
nounC1gen. Monschausinvariable declension
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- die Eifel
Eifel (low mountain range in western Germany)
nounB2pl. —gen. Eifelinvariable declension
- müssen
must, to have to
verbA1müssen, musste, hat gemusstmit habenmodal
The dependent infinitive goes to the end of the clause.
- dreißig
thirty
numeralA1
- der Mensch
human being, person
nounA1pl. Menschengen. Menschenweak declension
Weak n-declension: the genitive singular is Menschen and every plural form is Menschen.
- ihr
their, her
determinerA2possessive
Refers to feminine or plural possessors; here 'its' (the commission's).
- das Haus
house
nounA1pl. Häusergen. Hausesstrong declension
- wegen
because of, due to
prepositionA2governs genitive
In colloquial speech often heard with the dative, but standard German uses the genitive.
- stark
strong, powerful
adjectiveA1stärker, am stärksten
- der Rauch
smoke
nounB1pl. Räuchegen. Rauchsstrong declension
- verlassen
to leave, to depart from, to abandon
verbB1verlassen, verließ, hat verlassenmit habenmixedgoverns accusative