Breakdown of Alle Spesen wurden einschließlich der Versandkosten bezahlt.
alle
all, everyone
bezahlen
to pay
werden
to be (passive auxiliary + past participle)
einschließlich
including
die Spesen
the expenses
die Versandkosten
the shipping costs
Questions & Answers about Alle Spesen wurden einschließlich der Versandkosten bezahlt.
Why do we use the article der before Versandkosten if it is a plural noun?
The preposition einschließlich (including) requires the genitive case. While the nominative and accusative plural article is die, the genitive plural article is der.
Is einschließlich related to the verb einschließen?
Yes! The verb einschließen means 'to include' or 'to lock in'. The preposition einschließlich evolved from the present participle of this verb, but it now functions strictly as a formal genitive preposition meaning 'including' or 'inclusive of'.
What is the difference between Spesen and Kosten in this sentence?
Kosten is the general word for 'costs', as seen in the compound noun Versandkosten (shipping costs). Spesen specifically refers to out-of-pocket business expenses or per diems, such as travel, food, and accommodation costs that an employee expects to have reimbursed.
Why does the sentence use wurden ... bezahlt instead of wurden ... bezahlt worden?
The phrase wurden bezahlt is the simple past (Präteritum) passive. If you wanted to use the present perfect passive, you would use sein as the helper verb: sind ... bezahlt worden. Learners sometimes accidentally mix the two tenses up and try to use wurden with worden, which is incorrect.
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