Breakdown of Nach der Datierung des freigelegten Grabes kennen wir die genaue Epoche.
wir
we
kennen
to know (somebody/something)
nach
after (in time)
genau
exactly / precise, exact
das Grab
the tomb
freilegen
to uncover (expose, excavate)
die Datierung
the dating
die Epoche
the epoch
Questions & Answers about Nach der Datierung des freigelegten Grabes kennen wir die genaue Epoche.
How do we unpack the nominalized phrase Nach der Datierung into a full temporal clause?
You turn the preposition nach into the conjunction nachdem and change the noun Datierung back into a verb. Because the action in a nachdem clause must happen before the main clause, you need a past tense. Since the sentence doesn't state who did the dating, passive voice works perfectly: Nachdem das freigelegte Grab datiert wurde, kennen wir die genaue Epoche.
Why does the phrase freigelegten Grabes have those specific word endings?
This phrase is in the genitive case, representing the English 'of the uncovered tomb' and acting as an attribute of Datierung. The neuter noun das Grab takes the strong genitive ending -es to become des Grabes. Because it follows the definite article des, the modifying adjective freigelegt takes the weak declension ending -en.
Where does the word freigelegten come from?
It functions as an adjective here, but it is originally the past participle of the separable verb freilegen (to uncover or excavate). In German, past participles can be placed directly before a noun to describe a completed state, exactly like 'the uncovered tomb' in English.
Why does the main clause use kennen for 'we know' instead of wissen?
The verb kennen is used when you are acquainted with a specific noun, entity, or concept—in this case, die genaue Epoche. The verb wissen is used for knowing facts and is typically followed by a subordinate clause (like a dass clause) or a question word, rather than a direct noun object.
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