Breakdown of Sie vermeiden das Problem dadurch, dass Sie das Geflügel gut braten.
gut
good / well
Sie
you (formal)
das Problem
the problem
braten
to fry
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
vermeiden
to avoid
dadurch, dass
by the fact that
das Geflügel
the poultry
Questions & Answers about Sie vermeiden das Problem dadurch, dass Sie das Geflügel gut braten.
How can this sentence be shortened into an elliptical clause (verkürzter Nebensatz)?
Because the subject (Sie) is the same in both the main clause and the subordinate clause, you can drop the second Sie and use an infinitive clause with zu. The shortened version is: Sie vermeiden das Problem dadurch, das Geflügel gut zu braten.
Why do we need the word dadurch here instead of just jumping into the dass clause?
English often uses prepositions directly with verbs (like "by frying"). German cannot connect a preposition directly to a dass clause. Instead, it uses a "da-word" like dadurch in the main clause as a placeholder. It literally translates to "through that, that you fry...".
Could I use indem to express "by frying" here instead?
Yes, indem is another excellent B2-level way to express "by doing something". You could say: Sie vermeiden das Problem, indem Sie das Geflügel gut braten. Keep in mind that unlike dadurch, an indem clause cannot be shortened into a zu infinitive clause.
Does Geflügel (poultry) have a plural form?
No, das Geflügel is a collective noun, so it is only used in the singular. If you need to talk about multiple individual birds, you would name the specific animals, like die Hühner (the chickens) or die Enten (the ducks).
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