Breakdown of Das Design ist nicht nur schick, sondern auch zweckmäßig.
sein
to be
schick
chic
nicht nur ..., sondern auch
not only ... but also
das Design
the design
zweckmäßig
functional
Questions & Answers about Das Design ist nicht nur schick, sondern auch zweckmäßig.
How does the suffix -mäßig work to create the word zweckmäßig?
The suffix -mäßig attaches to nouns to describe something being "in accordance with" or "suitable for" that noun. Here, it attaches to der Zweck (the purpose). Therefore, something that is zweckmäßig is "in accordance with its purpose"—meaning functional, practical, or fit for purpose.
Is there a difference in meaning between zweckmäßig and praktisch?
They are very close synonyms, but zweckmäßig has a more specific nuance. While praktisch simply means "practical" or "handy," zweckmäßig specifically highlights that something perfectly fulfills its intended function (der Zweck). It is often used in contexts like design or planning to mean "utilitarian" or "expedient."
I sometimes see words ending in -mässig instead of -mäßig. Why is that?
It is the exact same suffix! In Germany and Austria, it is spelled with an eszett (ß) because the preceding vowel (ä) is long. However, Swiss Standard German doesn't use the ß character at all, so it is always written as -mässig in Switzerland.
Is the comma before sondern strictly required in this sentence?
Yes. When using the two-part conjunction nicht nur ..., sondern auch ... (not only..., but also...), German punctuation rules require a comma before sondern. This applies even when you are just connecting two single words, like the adjectives schick and zweckmäßig.
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