Breakdown of Sie müssen den Betrag abzüglich des Rabatts bezahlen.
Sie
you (formal)
bezahlen
to pay
müssen
to have to, must
der Rabatt
the discount
der Betrag
the amount
abzüglich
less
Questions & Answers about Sie müssen den Betrag abzüglich des Rabatts bezahlen.
Why do we use des Rabatts instead of den Rabatt here?
The word abzüglich (meaning less or deducting) is a formal preposition that requires the genitive case. Because der Rabatt (the discount) is a masculine noun, the article changes to des and the noun gets an -s ending.
Would I use abzüglich in normal, everyday conversation?
Not usually. abzüglich is quite formal and is mostly found in business contexts, like on invoices, receipts, or contracts. In everyday spoken German, you would normally just say minus den Rabatt or ohne den Rabatt.
Why is den Betrag in the accusative case while the following phrase is in the genitive?
The case of each noun is determined by its specific grammatical role. den Betrag is the direct object of the verb bezahlen (it is the thing you are paying), which requires the accusative. The genitive case in des Rabatts is triggered solely by the preposition abzüglich.
What is the exact opposite of abzüglich if I need to add a charge?
The opposite is zuzüglich (meaning plus or adding), which is also a formal preposition taking the genitive case. For example, to say plus the fee, you would write zuzüglich der Gebühr.
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