B2statement7 words5 rules

Second sentence of Zwei Tote, hohe Sachschäden: Schwere Unwetter in Teilen Deutschlands, tagesschau.de, 20 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.

Underline shows

Meaning

At least two people lost their lives.

Word for word: At least two people came around the life.

Used in news reports and formal accounts of accidents or disasters to say that people died; a more formal alternative to 'starben'.

A simple main clause in the preterite: the subject 'zwei Menschen' (nominative plural) is fronted after the adverb 'mindestens', and the finite verb 'kamen' stands in second position. 'ums Leben' is a fixed accusative phrase belonging to the verb 'ums Leben kommen'.

Rules at work(5)

Words(5)

mindestens
at least

adverbB1degree
zwei
two

numeralA1
der Mensch
human being, person

nounA1pl. Menschengen. Menschenweak declension

Weak n-declension: the genitive singular is Menschen and every plural form is Menschen.
kommen
to come

verbA1kommen, kam, ist gekommenmit seinstrong

Figurative here: the decisions should 'come', i.e. appear soon.
das Leben
life

nounA1pl. Lebengen. Lebensstrong declension

In 'ums Leben kommen' it appears only with the contracted preposition 'ums'; do not translate word by word.

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Take a German sentence apart.

What comes back

Mindestens zwei Menschen kamen ums Leben.

Meaning

Rules at work(5)

Words(5)

Read today's news

My words

The lexicon

Grammar rules

How it works

You paste a sentence

A model reads it

Rules get linked

It is stored for good

What you are looking at

Every word, and why it is that shape

Then the rules that put it there

Questions

Account

Admin

API key

The backend

Reported facts

People