Asking the model to read this sentence.
A sentence nobody has read before takes a minute or two, because it means asking a language model. Nothing is lost if you leave this page: the address keeps the result.
Second sentence of Ernteeinbußen wegen Hitze: Landwirtschaftsminister will Bauern helfen, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Agriculture Minister Rainer has promised the farmers help — provided that reliable figures are available.
Word for word: Agriculture-minister Rainer has the farmers therefore help promised — if reliable figures lie-before.
The minister has pledged support for farmers, but only on the condition that trustworthy figures become available; the dash marks the condition as an afterthought or qualification.
Main clause in verb-second order with present-tense auxiliary 'hat' forming the perfect of the separable verb 'zusichern' (participle 'zugesichert'). 'den Bauern' is dative plural (indirect object), 'Hilfe' accusative direct object. After the dash a conditional clause introduced by 'wenn' stands with its finite verb 'vorliegen' at the end.
Rules at work(7)
-
Rainer hat den Bauern deshalb Hilfe zugesichert
The finite verb 'hat' occupies the second position of the main clause after the subject phrase.
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? -
hat ... zugesichert
'Zusichern' forms its perfect with the auxiliary haben plus the past participle.
The perfect is the ordinary spoken past. It is built from the present of haben in second position and the past participle at the end of the clause. Most verbs take haben, including every verb with a direct object and every reflexive verb.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
den Bauern
The recipients of the promise stand in the dative plural as indirect object.
The dative marks the indirect object, usually the person something is given, said or shown to. A number of common verbs take a dative object where English would use a direct one, and several prepositions always take it.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
wenn verlässliche Zahlen vorliegen
'Wenn' introduces the conditional clause and sends the finite verb to the end.
Weil, dass, wenn, als, ob, obwohl, damit, nachdem, bevor and the rest introduce a subordinate clause and send its finite verb to the very end.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
wenn ... vorliegen
After 'wenn' the finite verb 'vorliegen' must stand in final position.
In a subordinate clause the finite verb stands last. Where the clause also holds a participle or an infinitive, the finite verb goes after them, so the order at the end is participle then auxiliary.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
zugesichert
The prefix zu- of 'zusichern' reattaches inside the participle as ge-zu-sichert.
Some verbs carry a prefix that detaches in a main clause and moves to the very end: aufstehen becomes Ich stehe um sieben auf. The prefix is stressed, which is what tells a separable prefix from an inseparable one. In a subordinate clause and in the infinitive the verb stays whole.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
verlässliche Zahlen
With no article, the attributive adjective shows only -e here, the mixed pattern for plural nouns without a determiner.
After ein, kein and a possessive, the adjective takes strong endings exactly where the article shows nothing, which is the masculine nominative and the neuter nominative and accusative, and weak endings everywhere else.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(12)
- der Landwirtschaftsminister
minister of agriculture
nounC1pl. Landwirtschaftsministergen. Landwirtschaftsministersweak declension
- der Rainer
Rainer (male first name)
nounA1pl. Rainersgen. Rainersinvariable declension
- haben
to have
verbA1haben, hatte, hat gehabtmit habenirregular
As an auxiliary it forms the perfect tenses of most verbs.
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- der Bauer
farmer, peasant
nounA2pl. Bauerngen. Bauernweak declension
Weak noun taking -n in every case except nominative singular.
- deshalb
therefore, that is why
adverbA2causal
Refers back to a cause just mentioned; when it starts the clause the verb must come second.
- die Hilfe
help, assistance
nounA2pl. Hilfengen. Hilfestrong declension
- zusichern
to promise, to assure
verbC1zusichern, sicherte zu, zugesichertmit habenseparableweakgoverns dative
Formal/journalistic verb: you promise someone (dative) something (accusative).
- wenn
if, when(ever)
conjunctionA2subordinating
triggers verb-final word order; conditional 'if' here
- verlässlich
reliable, dependable
adjectiveB2verlässlicher, am verlässlichsten
- die Zahl
number, figure
nounA2pl. Zahlengen. Zahlstrong declension
'die Zahl der ...' takes a genitive complement; do not confuse with 'die Nummer'.
- vorliegen
to be available (to somebody), to have been submitted (to somebody), to be on the table
verbB2vorliegen, lag vor, hat vorgelegenmit habenseparablestronggoverns dative
The person who has the document goes in the dative: 'Dem Ausschuss liegt der Bericht vor.' Very frequent in news meaning 'a document has been obtained/is circulating'.