Breakdown of Laut der Volkszählung nimmt die Bevölkerung zu.
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
laut
according to
die Bevölkerung
the population
die Volkszählung
the census
zunehmen
to increase (intransitive)
Questions & Answers about Laut der Volkszählung nimmt die Bevölkerung zu.
Why is it der Volkszählung? Is that in the Dative or Genitive case?
The preposition laut (according to) can take either the Dative or the Genitive case. Because Volkszählung (census) is a feminine noun, its article changes to der in both the Dative and Genitive cases, so it could technically be either one here! In everyday spoken German, the Dative is more common with laut, while the Genitive is often preferred in formal writing.
Why does the verb nimmt come before the subject die Bevölkerung?
In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must always be in the second position. The entire phrase Laut der Volkszählung takes up the first position. To keep the verb in position two, the subject die Bevölkerung has to move to the other side of the verb, taking the third position.
Where does the word zu at the end of the sentence come from?
It belongs to the separable verb zunehmen, which means to increase or to gain. Because it is a separable verb in a standard main clause, the prefix zu gets pushed to the very end of the sentence, while the conjugated core nimmt stays in the second position.
How is the word Volkszählung formed?
It is a compound noun made of das Volk (the people or nation) and die Zählung (the count or tally). Put them together, and a people count is a census! As always with compound nouns, the grammatical gender comes from the final word, which is why it is die Volkszählung.
Learn Laut der Volkszählung nimmt die Bevölkerung zu 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