Breakdown of Der Präsident hat die Befugnis.
haben
to have
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Präsident
the president
die Befugnis
the authority (authorization, power to act)
Questions & Answers about Der Präsident hat die Befugnis.
I thought nouns ending in '-nis' were neuter, like das Ergebnis. Why is it die Befugnis?
While many nouns ending in -nis are indeed neuter (like das Ergebnis or das Geheimnis), several important abstract nouns in this group are feminine. Common feminine examples include die Befugnis (the authority), die Erlaubnis (the permission), and die Kenntnis (the knowledge). You just have to memorize which ones are feminine!
If the president had multiple powers or authorities, how would you form the plural of Befugnis?
You would add -se to the end, making it die Befugnisse. Notice that the s doubles when adding the plural ending, which is the standard, predictable rule for all nouns ending in the -nis suffix.
Isn't Präsident a weak noun (N-declension)? Why doesn't it have an -en at the end here?
You are right that Präsident is a weak noun, meaning it takes an -en ending in most cases (like the accusative or dative). However, weak nouns do not take this extra ending in the nominative case when they act as the subject of the sentence. Because the president is the one doing the 'having' here, der Präsident stays in its base form.
How is die Befugnis used differently from other words for power, like die Macht?
Die Befugnis specifically refers to a formal, legal, or official clearance to do something (a mandate or authorization). Die Macht translates more broadly to general 'power' (which can be physical, political, or abstract), while a word like die Autorität often refers to personal authority, respect, or being an authoritative figure.
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