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.
From Mehr als 186.000 Soldaten: Bundeswehr erreicht Personalziel für dieses Jahr, tagesschau.de, 17 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
Compared with July 2025, about 3,700 men and women were added.
Word for word: Compared with July 2025 came about 3,700 men and women to-add.
A statistical statement reporting that roughly 3,700 more men and women joined or were counted compared to July 2025; typical of news or statistics prose.
The sentence opens with a participial phrase 'Verglichen mit Juli 2025' (past participle of vergleichen), followed by the finite verb 'kamen' in second position with the separable prefix 'hinzu' at the end. The subject is the plural noun phrase 'etwa 3.700 Männer und Frauen'. The preterite 'kamen' is standard in written narrative/statistical German.
Rules at work(6)
-
Verglichen ... kamen ... hinzu
After the fronted participial phrase, the finite verb 'kamen' still occupies 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? -
kamen ... hinzu
Hinkommen is separable; its prefix 'hinzu' moves to the end while the stem stays in position two.
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? -
Verglichen mit Juli 2025
The past participle 'verglichen' opens a participial phrase functioning adverbially ('compared with').
Both participles can stand before a noun and take ordinary adjective endings. The past participle is passive in sense, the present participle active: das gekochte Ei against das kochende Wasser.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
kamen
Written statistical prose prefers the simple preterite over the perfect.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
Männer und Frauen
The coordinated noun phrase is the subject and therefore nominative.
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.
Does this rule belong on this sentence? -
mit Juli 2025
'Mit' always governs the dative, so 'Juli' stands in the dative.
Aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu always take the dative. Several of them contract with the article: von dem becomes vom, zu der becomes zur.
Does this rule belong on this sentence?
Words(10)
- vergleichen
to compare
verbB1
Its past participle 'verglichen' is often used absolutely with 'mit' meaning 'compared with'.
- mit
with, by (means of transport)
prepositionA1governs dative
Always dative, including travel: 'mit dem Bus, mit dem Rad'.
- der Juli
July
nounA1pl. Julisgen. Julisinvariable declension
Month names are masculine and not usually preceded by an article in dates.
- 2025
2025
numeralA1
- hinkommen
to be added, to come along, to arrive there
verbB2hinkommen, kam hinzu, ist hinzugekommenmit seinseparableweak
In statistics texts it means quantities are added; do not confuse with arriving somewhere.
- etwa
for example, roughly, perhaps
adverbB2modal
'Etwa' can mean 'approximately', 'perhaps', or here 'for example'; context decides.
- 3.700
3,700
numeralA1
German uses a full stop as thousands separator.
- der Mann
man
nounA1pl. Männergen. Mannesstrong declension
Irregular plural with umlaut: Männer.
- und
and
conjunctionA1coordinating
- die Frau
woman, Mrs
nounA1pl. Frauengen. Frauweak declension