Der Fuchs ist bei weitem anpassungsfähiger als der Wolf.
The fox is far more adaptable than the wolf.
Breakdown of Der Fuchs ist bei weitem anpassungsfähiger als der Wolf.
sein
to be
als
than
der Fuchs
the fox
der Wolf
the wolf
bei weitem
by far
anpassungsfähig
adaptable
Questions & Answers about Der Fuchs ist bei weitem anpassungsfähiger als der Wolf.
How does bei weitem work here, and is it interchangeable with other intensifiers like weitaus or wesentlich?
Bei weitem literally means "by far" and strongly intensifies the comparative adjective anpassungsfähiger. It is mostly interchangeable with weitaus, bedeutend, or wesentlich, though bei weitem often sounds slightly more emphatic. Note that the intensifier must come immediately before the adjective it modifies.
How is the adjective anpassungsfähig built?
It is a compound made from the noun die Anpassung (the adaptation) + a connecting -s- + the adjective fähig (capable or able), together meaning "adaptable". To form the comparative, you simply add -er to the end of the entire word to make anpassungsfähiger, without changing anything in the first half of the compound.
Why is der Wolf in the nominative case after als?
The conjunction als (than) does not dictate a specific case on its own. Instead, it forces the following noun to match the case of the thing it is being compared to. Because the fox (Der Fuchs) is the subject of the sentence in the nominative case, the wolf (der Wolf) must also be in the nominative case.
Can bei weitem also be used with superlatives in German, just like in English?
Yes, absolutely! Just like in English, you can use it to intensify the highest degree, for example: der bei weitem anpassungsfähigste Fuchs (by far the most adaptable fox). You will also frequently see it combined with nicht to mean "not by a long shot" or "nowhere near" (bei weitem nicht).
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