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### Counting Repetitions: Suffixes for Frequency and Multiplication

In product testing and quality control, it is rarely enough to do something just once. When you need to express how often a procedure is repeated, or multiply an action, German uses specific suffixes attached to numbers or quantity words like **mehr** (more) or **viel** (much/many).

### Frequency: -mals and -malig

To express how often an action happens, German uses adverbs like **mehrmals** (several times). Because it is an adverb modifying a verb, its form never changes.

{{item:885545}}

To turn a frequency concept into an adjective that describes a noun directly (like a "one-time" event), use the suffix **-malig**, as in **einmalig**. Like all adjectives placed before a noun, it must take standard adjective endings based on gender, case, and number.

{{item:885548}}

### Multiplication: The Suffix -fach

To describe something as twofold, threefold, or multiple, German uses the suffix **-fach**. Think of it as the direct equivalent to the English suffix "-fold."

Unlike the frequency words above, words ending in **-fach** are highly flexible. You can use them as adverbs (modifying the verb, taking no ending) to describe *how* something is done:

{{item:885553}}

Or, you can use them as adjectives (modifying a noun) to describe the thing itself. When used this way, they require regular adjective endings:

{{item:885551}}

You can attach **-fach** to exact numbers like **zwei** (two) or **zehn** (ten) to specify exact multiples:

{{item:885559}}

Alternatively, you can attach **-fach** to indefinite quantities like **mehr** (multiple) or **viel** (manifold) to emphasize rigorous, repeated testing without providing an exact number. Again, these can be used as uninflected adverbs or inflected adjectives:

{{item:885555}}

{{item:885557}}

Let's look at a final example that brings both **-malig** and **-fach** together. Notice how both suffixes are acting as adjectives here, taking the appropriate endings for a neuter subject and a masculine direct object:

{{item:885561}}

Multiplicative suffixes (-fach, -malig)

adjective

adverb

auxiliary verb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Definite articles and gender (der, die, das)

Indefinite articles (ein, eine)

Regular verbs and statement word order (ich -e, er -t)

The second person (du -st, Sie -en)

Yes/No questions

The verb 'to have' (habe, hast, hat)

Plural pronouns and regular verbs (wir, ihr, sie)

Plural 'to be' and 'to have' (sind, haben)

Plural nouns and the plural article (die)

Sentence negation (nicht)

Noun negation (kein, keine)

Question words (wer, was, wo, wie)

Numbers 0 to 12 (null, eins, zwei)

The accusative case (den, die, das)

Indefinite accusative articles (einen, keinen)

Direct object pronouns (mich, dich, ihn)

There is / there are (es gibt)

Vowel changes: e to i/ie (er spricht, sie liest)

Vowel changes: a to ä (er fährt)

Weather and conditions (es regnet)

First- and second-person possessives in the nominative (mein, dein, Ihr)

First- and second-person possessives in the accusative (meinen, deinen, Ihren)

Third-person and plural possessives (sein, ihr, unser, euer)

Possession with names (Annas Auto)

Demonstrative pronouns (dieser, diese, dieses)

Expressing preference (gern, lieber)

Asking about direction and origin (woher, wohin)

Expressing ability (können)

Polite requests (möchten)

Expressing intention (wollen)

Modal verbs of obligation and permission (müssen, dürfen)

Separable prefix verbs

Adverbs of frequency (immer, oft, manchmal, nie)

The Dative case and definite articles (dem, der, den)

Dative indefinite and negative articles (einem, einer, keinem)

Dative personal pronouns (mir, dir, ihm, ihr...)

Dative verbs (helfen, danken, gefallen, schmecken)

Dative prepositions (aus, bei, mit, nach...)

Accusative prepositions (für, ohne, gegen)

Two-way prepositions for location (in, an, auf...)

Informal singular imperative (mach, komm)

Plural and formal imperative (macht, machen Sie)

Coordinating conjunctions (und, oder, aber, denn)

Simple past of sein and haben (war, hatte)

The perfect tense: regular verbs (gemacht, gespielt)

Past tense: irregular verbs (ge-...-en)

The perfect tense: mixed verbs (gebracht, gekannt)

The perfect tense with sein (ist gegangen)

The perfect tense: separable verbs (eingekauft)

The perfect tense: inseparable and -ieren verbs (besucht, studiert)

Informal singular commands (mach, lern)

Numbers 13 to 20 (dreizehn to zwanzig)

Counting by tens to 100 (dreißig, vierzig)

Telling time (Uhr, halb, Viertel, vor, nach)

Numbers 21 to 99 (einundzwanzig, zweiunddreißig)

Greetings and farewells

Thank you, sorry and good wishes

Everyday replies

Numbers 100 to 1,000,000 (hundert, tausend...)

Becoming and getting (werden)

The impersonal pronoun (man)

Indefinite pronouns (jemand, niemand...)

Time sequence prepositions (vor, nach, bei)

Time span prepositions (von... bis, seit, für)

Adverbs of sequence (zuerst, dann, danach)

Two-way prepositions for direction (in, auf, an...)

Directional adverbs (hin, her)

Placement verbs (setzen, stellen, legen)

Months of the year (Januar, Februar)

The four seasons (Frühling, Sommer)

Time prepositions and indefinite pronouns (an, in, um)

Ordinal numbers 1st to 19th (am ersten)

Ordinals 20th and beyond (-ste, -sten)

Placement vs. location verbs (stellen vs. stehen)

Accusative reflexive pronouns (mich, dich, sich)

Accusative reflexive verbs (sich freuen)

Dative reflexive pronouns (mir, dir, sich)

Dative reflexive verbs (sich etwas merken)

Ordinal numbers 11th to 19th (-te)

Temporal prepositions (an, in, um)

Double objects with nouns

Double objects with pronouns

The modal verb for advice (sollen)

Simple past of modal verbs (musste, wollte...)

Simple past of common irregulars (wurde, wusste, es gab)

Adverbial connectors of consequence (deshalb, darum...)

Subordinate clauses for statements (dass)

Question	Answer
the test	der Test
several times	mehrmals
We repeat the test several times.	Wir wiederholen den Test mehrmals.
one-time	einmalig
the documentation	die Dokumentation
A one-time documentation of the test is not enough.	Eine einmalige Dokumentation des Tests ist nicht genug.
twofold	zweifach
the sample	die Stichprobe
It is a twofold examination of the sample.	Es handelt sich um eine zweifache Prüfung der Stichprobe.
threefold	dreifach
We check the sample threefold and save the documentation.	Wir prüfen die Stichprobe dreifach und speichern die Dokumentation.
multiple	mehrfach
The technician repeated the test multiple times, meanwhile I documented it.	Der Techniker hat den Test mehrfach wiederholt, währenddessen habe ich ihn dokumentiert.
manifold	vielfach
Thanks to the numerous tests, we find every error.	Dank der vielfachen Tests finden wir jeden Fehler.
tenfold	zehnfach
We test the machine tenfold, not just twofold.	Wir prüfen die Maschine zehnfach, nicht nur zweifach.
On the part of the company, we control the sample several times.	Seitens der Firma kontrollieren wir die Stichprobe mehrmals.
A one-time problem does not need a multiple test.	Ein einmaliges Problem braucht keinen mehrfachen Test.
The trainee checks the product threefold, because the danger is great.	Der Auszubildende kontrolliert das Produkt dreifach, denn die Gefahr ist groß.
Thanks to the tenfold examination, the risk is small.	Dank der zehnfachen Prüfung ist das Risiko klein.
The scientist checked the device multiple times.	Der Wissenschaftler hat das Gerät vielfach geprüft.