Breakdown of Der Arzt sagt, dass der Mann gut abnimmt.
der Mann
the man
gut
good / well
sagen
to say
der Arzt
the doctor
Questions & Answers about Der Arzt sagt, dass der Mann gut abnimmt.
Why is abnimmt written as one word at the end here, instead of nimmt ... ab?
The word dass (that) starts a subordinate clause, which forces the conjugated verb to the very end of the sentence. When a separable verb like abnehmen is pushed to the end like this, the prefix (ab) and the main verb (nimmt) get glued back together into one word.
I know nehmen means to take. Why does this sentence say he is losing weight?
The prefix changes the meaning of the verb! While nehmen means to take, the separable verb abnehmen means to decrease or to lose weight. For bonus points: the opposite (to gain weight) is zunehmen.
Why is the verb spelled abnimmt and not abnehmt?
The verb abnehmen is irregular, just like its base verb nehmen. For he, she, or it (er/sie/es), the stem vowel changes, making it nimmt. In a normal main clause, this would be der Mann nimmt ab, which joins back into abnimmt at the end of our dass clause.
Is the comma before dass required?
Yes! In German, you must always use a comma to separate a main sentence (Der Arzt sagt) from a dependent sentence (like the one starting with dass).