Breakdown of Überweisen Sie bitte sofort den Rechnungsbetrag.
Sie
you (formal)
bitte
please
sofort
immediately
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
überweisen
to transfer
der Rechnungsbetrag
the invoice amount
Questions & Answers about Überweisen Sie bitte sofort den Rechnungsbetrag.
Why is there an s in the middle of Rechnungsbetrag?
Rechnungsbetrag is a compound noun made of die Rechnung (the invoice) and der Betrag (the amount). The -s- in the middle is a linking element (Fugenlaut). In German, when the first noun in a compound ends in certain suffixes like -ung, -heit, -keit, or -schaft, you almost always add an -s- to connect it to the next word.
Since it is made of two nouns, how do I know Rechnungsbetrag is masculine (den)?
The gender of a compound noun always comes from its final word. Even though the first part is feminine (die Rechnung), the core noun is der Betrag (the amount). Therefore, the entire compound is masculine, which is why it takes the masculine accusative article den here as the direct object.
Überweisen has the prefix über-. Why isn't it separated in this command, like Weisen Sie ... über?
The prefix über- can be separable or inseparable depending on the verb. In the case of überweisen (to transfer money), it is inseparable. Therefore, it stays attached to the root verb in all sentence structures, including this imperative form.
Why does the sentence start with the verb Überweisen instead of Sie?
This is the formal imperative (command) form. To give a polite but firm instruction using Sie, you invert the normal word order and put the verb in the first position, followed immediately by Sie.
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