Word
Die zerbrechliche Fracht bricht in der Mitte durch!
Meaning
The fragile cargo breaks in half in the middle!
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Die zerbrechliche Fracht bricht in der Mitte durch!
in
in
die Mitte
the middle / the center
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Fracht
the cargo
Questions & Answers about Die zerbrechliche Fracht bricht in der Mitte durch!
Why is the verb durchbrechen separated into bricht ... durch in this sentence?
The prefix durch- is a variable prefix. When durchbrechen means to physically snap or break in two, it is separable (and you would stress durch- when speaking). If it meant to break through a barrier or obstacle, it would be inseparable.
Where does the meaning 'breaks in half' come from if there is no word for 'half' in the German sentence?
The concept of snapping in half is built directly into the separable verb durchbrechen. While brechen simply means to break, adding the separable prefix durch- creates the specific meaning of an object snapping completely in two pieces.
How is the adjective zerbrechliche formed?
It is built from the verb zerbrechen (to shatter or break into pieces). Adding the suffix -lich makes it an adjective meaning breakable or fragile. The final -e is the standard adjective ending for a feminine noun (die Fracht) in the nominative case.
Why do we use the dative case for in der Mitte?
The preposition in is a two-way preposition. Because the cargo is breaking at a static location (in its middle) rather than moving into a new destination, we use the dative case. The feminine noun die Mitte changes to der Mitte.