Replacing the Genitive with "von"
In German, the Genitive case usually expresses possession or relation, often translating to "of" in English. To do this, the Genitive relies heavily on articles (like des or der) or adjective endings to clearly mark its grammatical case.
However, mass nouns—uncountable materials like coal, copper, or ore—are frequently used without articles. When a bare mass noun lacks an article to show the Genitive case, German replaces the Genitive construction entirely.
Instead, you must use the preposition von (which grammatically triggers the Dative case, though without an article the noun's form doesn't change). You simply place von directly before the bare noun.
| The export of copper is very lucrative. | Der Export von Kupfer ist sehr lukrativ. |
| The mining of coal harms the environment. | Der Abbau von Kohle schadet der Umwelt. |
This replacement is mandatory whenever a noun's case would otherwise be "invisible." In the context of global resources, you will see this constantly with imports, exports, and mining.
| The import of coal is easy to control. | Der Import von Kohle ist leicht zu kontrollieren. |
| The mining of lithium and copper is very important. | Der Abbau von Lithium und Kupfer ist sehr wichtig. |
Bare Plurals
The exact same rule applies to "bare plurals"—plural nouns used without an article (e.g., "mines" instead of "the mines"). Without a modifying article or adjective to carry a Genitive ending, von must step in to mean "of."
| The opening of mines is rarely lucrative. | Die Eröffnung von Minen ist selten lukrativ. |