Breakdown of Der Besitzer musste nachweisen, dass er die Tiere artgerecht füttert.
er
he
müssen
to have to, must
das Tier
the animal
dass
that
füttern
to feed
der Besitzer
the owner
artgerecht
species-appropriate
nachweisen
to prove (provide evidence of, detect)
Questions & Answers about Der Besitzer musste nachweisen, dass er die Tiere artgerecht füttert.
How is the word artgerecht formed and used?
It is a compound of die Art (the species or kind) and gerecht (fair, just, or appropriate). In the context of animals, it translates to "species-appropriate" or "humane". You will often see -gerecht used as a suffix in B2/C1 German to mean "suitable for" (for example, umweltgerecht for environmentally friendly or fritzgerecht for suitable for Fritz).
Why does the subordinate clause use the present tense füttert when the main clause is in the past tense (musste)?
English typically matches the past tense across the whole sentence ("had to prove that he fed the animals"). German, however, often keeps the present tense in the subordinate clause if it describes a still-ongoing fact or a general truth. The owner had to prove a continuous reality: that his general practice is to feed them appropriately.
Why is nachweisen used here instead of beweisen for "to prove"?
While both mean "to prove", nachweisen specifically implies providing concrete evidence, documentation, or official verification (like showing an inspector your feeding facilities or records). Beweisen is used for more abstract, logical, or general proof (like proving a scientific theory or proving someone is guilty in a broader sense).
Since nachweisen is a separable verb, why isn't the prefix nach at the very end of the sentence?
Because the main clause uses the conjugated modal verb musste, the action verb is pushed to the end of that specific clause in its full, unseparated infinitive form (nachweisen). The dass clause that follows is a completely separate clause with its own word order, so the infinitive stays neatly packed together right before the comma.
Learn Der Besitzer musste nachweisen, dass er die Tiere artgerecht füttert 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