Breakdown of Aufgrund der Störung der Lieferkette fehlt das Ersatzteil.
fehlen
to be missing
aufgrund
due to
die Störung
the disruption
die Lieferkette
the supply chain
das Ersatzteil
the spare part
Questions & Answers about Aufgrund der Störung der Lieferkette fehlt das Ersatzteil.
How would this sentence look if it used a weil clause instead of aufgrund?
You would turn the noun Störung (disruption) back into a verb phrase like gestört ist (is disrupted) and create a subordinate clause. For example: Weil die Lieferkette gestört ist, fehlt das Ersatzteil. This is the exact reverse of the nominalization you are practicing in this lesson!
Why are there two feminine Genitive articles back-to-back in der Störung der Lieferkette?
This is a nested Genitive. The preposition aufgrund requires the Genitive case, turning die Störung into der Störung (due to the disruption). The second part, 'of the supply chain', is another Genitive phrase attached to the first one, turning die Lieferkette into der Lieferkette. Chaining Genitives like this is very common in formal German.
Why does the verb fehlt come before the subject das Ersatzteil?
German enforces strict verb-second word order in main clauses. The entire causal phrase Aufgrund der Störung der Lieferkette acts as a single block taking up position one. To keep the verb in position two, fehlt must come immediately after this phrase, pushing the subject das Ersatzteil to the third position.
Could I use wegen instead of aufgrund in this sentence?
Yes, you can. Both wegen and aufgrund mean 'because of' or 'due to' and both take the Genitive case. Saying Wegen der Störung der Lieferkette fehlt das Ersatzteil is grammatically correct and means the exact same thing. Aufgrund just sounds slightly more formal, making it a great fit for business or technical contexts.
Learn Aufgrund der Störung der Lieferkette fehlt das Ersatzteil 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