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From Vorschlag der AWO : Mit einem "Erwerbsbooster" gegen die Armut, tagesschau.de, 19 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
How this could succeed is something the AWO intends to demonstrate with a study.
Word for word: How that succeed could, wants the AWO with a study set-out.
The AWO (a German welfare organisation) plans to use a study to show how something could be achieved. Typical of journalistic or formal written German reporting on organisations' plans.
The sentence opens with an indirect w-question clause ('Wie das gelingen könnte') functioning as the subject-like fronted object of 'darlegen'. Because the subordinate clause occupies first position, the finite verb 'will' follows immediately (verb-second order). The embedded clause has verb-final word order ('gelingen könnte'), with the modal 'könnte' in subjunctive II form at the end. The infinitive 'gelingen' combines with the modal as a double-infinitive-style construction in the subordinate clause.
Rules at work(7)
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Wie das gelingen könnte
The fronted clause is an indirect w-question introduced by 'wie', functioning as the object of 'darlegen'.
A question inside another sentence becomes a subordinate clause and its verb moves to the end. A question word introduces it, and where there is none, ob does the job.
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Wie das gelingen könnte
Within the indirect question the finite modal 'könnte' stands at the end, after the infinitive 'gelingen'.
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.
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will die AWO
The fronted subordinate clause fills first position, so the finite verb 'will' must come second in the main clause.
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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will ... darlegen; gelingen könnte
Both clauses pair a modal with an infinitive: 'will darlegen' expresses intention, 'könnte' expresses possibility.
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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könnte
'Könnte' is the subjunctive II of 'können', softening the claim to a possibility rather than a certainty.
The form for the hypothetical, the unreal and the polite. Wäre, hätte and the modals have their own forms; most other verbs use würde plus an infinitive.
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darlegen
'Darlegen' has the inseparable prefix 'dar-' and stays as one word in the infinitive.
The prefixes be, emp, ent, er, ge, miss, ver and zer never separate and are never stressed. A verb carrying one also forms its past participle without ge, so verstehen gives verstanden.
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mit einer Studie
The preposition 'mit' governs the dative, hence 'einer Studie' in feminine dative singular.
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.
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Words(11)
- wie
how
adverbA1modal
Here a free relative meaning 'as', not a question word.
- das
that, what
pronounA1demonstrative
Before a comma, das is usually a pronoun introducing a relative clause, not the article.
- gelingen
to succeed
verbB2gelingen, gelang, ist gelungenmit seinstronggoverns dative
impersonal verb: the thing that succeeds is the subject ('das gelingt')
- können
can, be able to, may, might (as könnte)
verbA1können, konnte, hat gekonntmit habenmodal
könnte is the Konjunktiv II and softens a claim into a possibility.
- wollen
to want, to want to
verbA1wollen, wollte, hat gewolltmit habenmodal
Wollen has no umlaut in its conjugation: ich will, wir wollen.
- die
the
determinerA1definite
- die AWO
AWO (abbreviation of Arbeiterwohlfahrt)
nounC1pl. AWOsgen. der AWOinvariable declension
- mit
with, by (means of transport)
prepositionA1governs dative
Always dative, including travel: 'mit dem Bus, mit dem Rad'.
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- die Studie
study
nounB1pl. Studiengen. Studieweak declension
- darlegen
to set out, to present, to explain in detail
verbC1
Formal register; inseparable prefix 'dar-', so the participle is 'dargelegt' without 'zu' insertion issues but with no separable ge-.