Breakdown of Der Lastwagen durchbricht plötzlich die Absperrung.
plötzlich
suddenly
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Absperrung
the barrier
der Lastwagen
the truck
durchbrechen
to break in two / to break through
Questions & Answers about Der Lastwagen durchbricht plötzlich die Absperrung.
Why is 'durch-' still attached to the verb here instead of moving to the end of the sentence?
In this sentence, durchbrechen (to break through) is an inseparable verb. Verbs with prefixes like durch-, über-, and um- can be separable or inseparable depending on their exact meaning. When durchbrechen means penetrating an obstacle (like a barrier), it stays together. If it meant physically snapping an object in two, it would be separable and durch would go to the end of the sentence.
Since durchbrechen is inseparable here, how do I form its past participle?
Because it acts as an inseparable verb in this context, it doesn't take the -ge- prefix in the past participle. The past participle is simply durchbrochen. In the spoken past tense (Perfekt), you would say: Der Lastwagen hat plötzlich die Absperrung durchbrochen.
Could I put plötzlich at the very beginning of this sentence?
Yes, but you would have to change the word order. If you start with the adverb for dramatic effect, the conjugated verb must still stay in the second position. The sentence would become: Plötzlich durchbricht der Lastwagen die Absperrung.
How does the word Absperrung relate to verbs we might already know?
It comes from the separable verb absperren (to block off or barricade). By taking the verb stem and adding the suffix -ung, you create a noun that describes the result of the action. As a helpful rule, all German nouns ending in -ung are feminine, which is why it uses die.
Learn Der Lastwagen durchbricht plötzlich die Absperrung and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free