Breakdown of Wegen der knappen Rohstoffe ist die Lieferkette gestört.
sein
to be
stören
to disturb
wegen
because of
knapp
scarce
der Rohstoff
the raw material
die Lieferkette
the supply chain
Questions & Answers about Wegen der knappen Rohstoffe ist die Lieferkette gestört.
How would I express this same meaning using a causal clause with weil instead of the preposition wegen?
You would turn the noun phrase into a full clause with a subject and verb: Weil die Rohstoffe knapp sind, ist die Lieferkette gestört. Notice how the attributive adjective knappen becomes the predicate adjective knapp in the subordinate clause.
Why does the adjective knapp have an -en ending here (knappen)?
It is in the genitive plural. The preposition wegen requires the genitive case. Because it follows a definite article (der), the adjective takes the weak ending -en: wegen der knappen Rohstoffe.
Could I use aufgrund instead of wegen in this sentence?
Yes, Aufgrund der knappen Rohstoffe works perfectly and means exactly the same thing. Aufgrund also requires the genitive case. It sounds slightly more formal than wegen and is very common in written German or business contexts.
Is ist ... gestört a passive construction here?
Yes, it is the state passive (Zustandspassiv). Formed with sein and a past participle (gestört), it describes a current condition that is the result of an action. If you used wird gestört (process passive), it would mean the supply chain is actively being disrupted right now.
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