Breakdown of Die Einkommensgrenze ist zu niedrig.
sein
to be
zu
too (e.g., too big)
niedrig
low
die Einkommensgrenze
the income limit
Questions & Answers about Die Einkommensgrenze ist zu niedrig.
Why is there an extra -s- in the middle of Einkommensgrenze?
That -s- is a linking element, or Fugenlaut. When sticking two nouns together to make a compound noun, German often uses letters like -s-, -n-, -en-, -e-, or -er- to make the new word easier to pronounce. Here, it connects das Einkommen (income) and die Grenze (limit).
Is there a rule to know that Einkommen gets an -s- when it's the first part of a compound?
There are no absolute rules for all words, but there are strong patterns. Words ending in -en (like das Einkommen or das Leben) very frequently take an -s- when they form the first half of a compound. This is why we also say die Lebensgefahr (mortal danger).
Does the -s- mean this is secretly a genitive construction ('limit of the income')?
Historically, yes! Many linking elements originated from the genitive case. However, in modern German, they are just phonetic 'glue.' You shouldn't think of it as a grammatical case anymore, which is why it doesn't affect the gender of the word. The final noun (die Grenze) strictly dictates that the compound is feminine (die Einkommensgrenze).
I've heard niedrig pronounced with a soft 'ich' sound at the end, but also with a hard 'g' sound. Which is correct?