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Opening sentence of Naturschutzgebiet Hohes Venn: Löscharbeiten in Belgien - Brandgeruch in Köln, tagesschau.de, 18 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Even now, 170 emergency personnel are still battling the fires in the Belgian nature reserve Hohes Venn.
Word for word: Still always fight 170 emergency forces the fire in-the Belgian nature-protection-area High Venn.
A news-style report stating that firefighting efforts in the Belgian upland nature reserve are still ongoing.
A verb-second declarative sentence: the temporal adverbial 'Noch immer' occupies the first position, so the finite verb 'bekämpfen' comes second and the plural subject '170 Einsatzkräfte' follows it. 'die Feuer' is the accusative object; the preposition 'im' (in + dem) takes the dative for location.
Rules at work(6)
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Noch immer bekämpfen
The fronted adverbial occupies position one, forcing the finite verb into second position.
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? -
im belgischen Naturschutzgebiet
'In' takes the dative ('im') because the fires are located in the reserve, not moved into it.
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? -
bekämpfen
German uses the present tense for ongoing events where English would use the progressive.
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? -
170 Einsatzkräfte
The subject stands in the nominative even though it follows the verb.
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.
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die Feuer
'Die Feuer' is the direct object of bekämpfen and thus accusative.
The accusative marks the direct object: the thing the action is done to. Only the masculine changes visibly, from der to den and from ein to einen, which is why the masculine is where accusative errors show.
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Einsatzkräfte, Naturschutzgebiet
Both nouns are compounds whose final element determines gender and meaning.
German builds long nouns by joining shorter ones. The last part carries the gender and the plural, and everything before it modifies what follows, so a compound is read from the right.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(11)
- noch
still, yet
adverbA1temporal
Before a comparative, 'noch stärker' means 'even stronger'.
- immer
always, ever
adverbA2degree
In 'noch immer' it combines with 'noch' to mean 'still'.
- bekämpfen
to fight, to combat
verbB1bekämpfen, bekämpfte, hat bekämpftmit habenmixed
- 170
170
numeralA1
- der
the
determinerA1definite
Appears twice: dative feminine 'der Wirtschaft' and nominative plural 'die Beschlüsse'.
- das Feuer
fire
nounA1pl. Feuergen. Feuersstrong declension
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- belgisch
Belgian
adjectiveA2
- das Naturschutzgebiet
nature reserve
nounB1pl. Naturschutzgebietegen. Naturschutzgebietsstrong declension
- hoch
high, tall
adjectiveA1höher, am höchsten
Irregular comparative höher.
- das Venn
fen, raised bog
nounC1pl. Venntegen. Vennsstrong declension