Adverbial Derivations with "-ermaßen"
In German, add the suffix -ermaßen to certain adjectives and past participles to create adverbs that express established facts, admissions, or necessities. This suffix works much like "-ly" or "in a ... manner" in English.
For instance, from bekannt (known), we get the adverb bekanntermaßen (as is known).
| Custody is known to be difficult. | Das Sorgerecht ist bekanntermaßen schwierig. |
Like all adverbs, words ending in -ermaßen don't change their endings. They can sit in the middle of a sentence, or at the very beginning for emphasis (which pushes the subject directly after the verb).
Concessions and Proven Facts
From zugegeben (admitted), we get zugegebenermaßen (admittedly):
| Admittedly, the child's welfare is the focus. | Zugegebenermaßen steht das Kindeswohl im Mittelpunkt. |
| Admittedly, child support is often a problem. | Der Unterhalt ist zugegebenermaßen oft ein Problem. |
To state an undeniable fact, use erwiesenermaßen (demonstrably), derived from erwiesen (proven):
| Regular contact is demonstrably important. | Der regelmäßige Umgang ist erwiesenermaßen wichtig. |
Expressing Necessity
To talk about unavoidable actions, the adverb gezwungenermaßen (out of necessity) is derived from the past participle gezwungen (forced).
| Out of necessity, we are signing the agreement. | Gezwungenermaßen unterschreiben wir die Vereinbarung. |
| Out of necessity, the father is moving. | Gezwungenermaßen zieht der Vater um. |