Breakdown of Die Gehaltsabrechnung des Mitarbeiters fehlt.
fehlen
to be missing
der Mitarbeiter
the employee (male)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Gehaltsabrechnung
the salary statement
Questions & Answers about Die Gehaltsabrechnung des Mitarbeiters fehlt.
Why is there an -s- in the middle of Gehaltsabrechnung?
It is a linking element (Fugenlaut) used to join das Gehalt (salary) and die Abrechnung (statement). For many masculine and neuter nouns, the linking letter is an -s-, which often mirrors their genitive ending (like des Gehalts). Its main purpose is simply to make the compound word flow better when spoken.
Since Gehaltsabrechnung is such a long compound noun, how do I know it uses die?
The gender of any German compound noun is always determined by its final word. Here, the final part is die Abrechnung. As a helpful refresher rule, all German nouns ending in the suffix -ung are feminine, making the entire compound feminine.
Why do we use the genitive des Mitarbeiters here instead of von dem Mitarbeiter?
You absolutely can use von dem Mitarbeiter (or vom Mitarbeiter) in everyday spoken German. However, the genitive case (des Mitarbeiters) is standard in written German and professional contexts. Since a Gehaltsabrechnung is a formal business document, the genitive fits the professional tone much better.
Why is fehlt used here instead of vermisst for 'is missing'?
Fehlen is used when something is objectively absent, lost, or not where it should be, and the missing item is the subject of the sentence (Die Abrechnung fehlt). Vermissen is used when a person actively notices or feels the absence of someone or something, requiring a direct object (for example, Ich vermisse die Abrechnung means 'I miss the statement').
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