Condensing Time Clauses
In scientific or professional contexts, you will often see time clauses condensed into compact noun phrases. Instead of saying "After we discovered the tomb..." (using the conjunction nachdem), you can say "After the discovery..." by turning the action into a noun.
"Nach" and "Vor" (Dative)
To condense clauses that mean after or before, use the prepositions nach and vor. Both require the Dative case.
| Gender / Plural | Dative Article |
|---|---|
| Masculine / Neuter | dem |
| Feminine | der |
| Plural | den (+ -n on the noun) |
Note: Many nouns describing actions end in -ung (like Entdeckung or Untersuchung). These nouns are always feminine, so their Dative article is der.
| After the discovery of the tomb, the excavation begins. | Nach der Entdeckung des Grabes beginnt die Ausgrabung. |
| After the dating of the uncovered tomb, we know the exact epoch. | Nach der Datierung des freigelegten Grabes kennen wir die genaue Epoche. |
| Before the examination of the pottery, we must restore it. | Vor der Untersuchung der Keramik müssen wir sie restaurieren. |
| Before the excavation, we read about the historical epoch. | Vor der Ausgrabung lesen wir über die historische Epoche. |
"Während" (Genitive)
To condense a clause that happens at the same time as the main action, use the preposition während (during). Unlike nach and vor, während requires the Genitive case.
| Gender / Plural | Genitive Article |
|---|---|
| Masculine / Neuter | des (+ -s / -es on the noun) |
| Feminine / Plural | der |
Notice that for feminine action nouns ending in -ung, the Genitive article is exactly the same as the Dative article (der).
| During the excavation, the researchers uncover a lot of pottery. | Während der Ausgrabung legen die Forscher viel Keramik frei. |
| During the examination of the skeleton, they uncovered the tomb. | Während der Untersuchung des Skeletts haben sie das Grab freigelegt. |