Breakdown of Das Fleisch ist sehr verderblich, wenn das Verfallsdatum nah ist.
sein
to be
sehr
very
das Fleisch
the meat
wenn
if / when (conditional, not a question word)
nah
near, close
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Verfallsdatum
the expiration date
verderblich
perishable
Questions & Answers about Das Fleisch ist sehr verderblich, wenn das Verfallsdatum nah ist.
Since we are learning about elliptical clauses, could we shorten the wenn clause here?
Not easily. Elliptical clauses (Verkürzte Nebensätze) typically drop the subject and the verb sein only when the subject is the exact same as in the main clause. Here, the main subject is das Fleisch but the subordinate subject is das Verfallsdatum. If you just said wenn nah, people might think the meat itself is physically near!
Could I use nahe instead of nah at the end of the sentence?
Yes, both nah and nahe are perfectly correct here. As a predicative adjective (coming after the verb sein), nah is more common in everyday spoken German, while nahe sounds just a little bit more formal or traditional.
Is das Verfallsdatum the standard word for expiration date on all German groceries?
It is specifically used for highly perishable goods like fresh meat, meaning the food might be dangerous after this strict expiration date. For most other groceries, you will see das Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum (often abbreviated as MHD), which is a best-before date meaning the food is usually still safe to eat later.
How does the word verderblich get its meaning?
It comes from the verb verderben, which means to spoil or to ruin. Adding the suffix -lich to a verb stem often creates an adjective meaning capable of doing that action. So verderblich literally means tending to spoil, which translates perfectly to perishable.
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