Breakdown of Dem Meteorologen zufolge wird das Wetter ungewöhnlich.
das Wetter
the weather
werden
to become / to get (change of state)
der Meteorologe
the meteorologist
zufolge
according to (often follows the noun)
ungewöhnlich
unusual
Questions & Answers about Dem Meteorologen zufolge wird das Wetter ungewöhnlich.
Why does zufolge come after Dem Meteorologen instead of before it?
The word zufolge is a special type of preposition called a postposition. When it is used to mean 'according to' a person or a report, it is placed directly after the noun phrase it refers to.
Why is the phrase Dem Meteorologen in the dative case?
When zufolge is placed after the noun, it strictly requires the dative case. This is why the masculine article der changes to dem. As a side note, if you ever see zufolge placed before a noun in more formal texts, it actually takes the genitive case instead!
If Dem Meteorologen is referring to a single person, why does the noun end in -n?
The noun Meteorologe belongs to a group of masculine words known as weak nouns, which follow the n-declension rule. These nouns add an -n or -en ending in every case except the nominative singular. Since zufolge forces this noun into the dative case, Meteorologe becomes Meteorologen.
Why does the verb wird come before the subject das Wetter?
In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must always sit in the second position. The entire prepositional phrase Dem Meteorologen zufolge acts as a single chunk occupying position one. Therefore, the verb wird takes position two, pushing the subject das Wetter to position three.
Is wird being used here to form the future tense, or does it mean 'becomes'?
It implies both! The verb werden followed by an adjective like ungewöhnlich literally means 'becomes unusual'. However, German frequently uses this present-tense structure to express a changing state that will occur in the future, making 'will become' or 'will be' the most natural English translations.
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