Breakdown of Infolge des Herzinfarkts braucht die Frau sofort die Hilfe der Ärzte.
die Frau
the woman
brauchen
to need
der Arzt
the doctor
die Hilfe
the help
sofort
immediately
infolge
as a result of
der Herzinfarkt
the heart attack
Questions & Answers about Infolge des Herzinfarkts braucht die Frau sofort die Hilfe der Ärzte.
Why is des Herzinfarkts in the genitive case here?
It is triggered by the preposition infolge (as a result of). Infolge is an advanced preposition that requires the genitive case to show the consequence of an event. Because der Herzinfarkt (the heart attack) is a masculine noun, its article changes to des and the noun itself takes an -s ending.
Could I just use wegen instead of infolge in this sentence?
Grammatically, yes, you could say Wegen des Herzinfarkts (Because of the heart attack). However, infolge is more specific and formal. While wegen just states a general reason, infolge explicitly highlights a direct consequence. It is heavily used in medical, legal, and news contexts.
Why does the verb braucht come before the subject die Frau?
This is due to the standard verb-second (V2) rule. The entire prepositional phrase Infolge des Herzinfarkts acts as a single block occupying the first position in the sentence. Therefore, the conjugated verb braucht must immediately follow it in the second position, pushing the subject die Frau to the third position.
Is der Ärzte feminine here, since it uses the article der?
No, der Ärzte is in the genitive plural. The singular noun is masculine: der Arzt (the doctor). Its plural is die Ärzte. In the genitive case, the plural definite article changes from die to der, meaning 'of the doctors'. It looks identical to the feminine nominative or dative article, which is a common trap to watch out for.
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