Breakdown of Er ist des Einbruchs schuldig und muss die Konsequenzen tragen.
sein
to be
er
he
und
and
tragen
to carry, to wear
Questions & Answers about Er ist des Einbruchs schuldig und muss die Konsequenzen tragen.
Why is des Einbruchs in the genitive case here?
The adjective schuldig (guilty) directly governs the genitive case. To say what someone is guilty of, German skips prepositions and puts the crime or action directly into the genitive: des Einbruchs schuldig (guilty of the burglary).
Why does Einbruch get an -s at the end?
Einbruch (the burglary or break-in) is a masculine noun (der Einbruch). Masculine and neuter nouns always take an -s or -es ending in the genitive case.
Could I say Er ist schuld an dem Einbruch instead?
You could, but the meaning shifts slightly. schuld an (followed by the dative case) means "at fault for" or "to blame for." schuldig with the genitive is the proper legal or formal term for being "guilty of" a crime.
Is die Konsequenzen tragen a direct translation from English?
It maps perfectly to the English phrase "to bear the consequences." The verb tragen literally means "to carry" or "to wear," but just like in English, it is used figuratively here to mean accepting the results of an action.
Why is the pronoun er missing in the second half of the sentence after und?