Breakdown of Man unterscheidet die Bäume anhand der Rinde und der Zweige.
und
and
der Baum
the tree
man
one / you (impersonal)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
anhand
on the basis of / by means of
die Rinde
the bark
unterscheiden
to distinguish
der Zweig
the branch (small, twig)
Questions & Answers about Man unterscheidet die Bäume anhand der Rinde und der Zweige.
Why do both Rinde and Zweige use the article der here?
The preposition anhand requires the genitive case. Rinde (bark) is a feminine noun, so its singular definite article changes from die to der in the genitive. Zweige (branches) is plural, and the plural definite article also changes from die to der in the genitive.
Could I just use durch or mit instead of anhand in this sentence?
You could use durch (through/by) or mit (with), but anhand is much more precise for this context. It specifically means 'on the basis of' or 'using as a reference', which perfectly describes using physical clues or evidence to identify things.
Is unterscheiden related to entscheiden? They look very similar.
They share the same root verb scheiden (to separate/part), but their everyday meanings are distinct. Unterscheiden means to distinguish or differentiate, like telling the trees apart here. Entscheiden means to decide or make a choice.
Why is die Bäume in the accusative case?
The verb unterscheiden takes a direct object for the things being distinguished. Since the trees are what is being categorized, die Bäume acts as the direct object and must be in the accusative case.
Learn Man unterscheidet die Bäume anhand der Rinde und der Zweige 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