Breakdown of Das Markenrecht ist bei weitem wichtiger als das Patent.
sein
to be
wichtig
important
als
than
bei weitem
by far
das Patent
the patent
das Markenrecht
the trademark law
Questions & Answers about Das Markenrecht ist bei weitem wichtiger als das Patent.
Why does the phrase bei weitem end in -em?
Bei weitem is a fixed prepositional phrase meaning 'by far'. The preposition bei always requires the dative case, so the nominalized adjective takes the dative neuter ending -em.
Is it ever correct to say wichtiger wie instead of wichtiger als?
No, standard German strictly uses als for unequal comparisons like wichtiger (more important). You will sometimes hear native speakers use wie or als wie in colloquial speech, but for exams and formal writing you should always use als for differences and save wie for similarities (like so wichtig wie).
What is the function of the -n- in the middle of the compound noun Markenrecht?
It is a linking element (Fugenlaut) connecting die Marke (trademark) and das Recht (law). It makes pronunciation smoother and is highly predictable when the first noun in a compound ends in -e.
How would we use this lesson's grammar topic to say 'Regardless of the patent, trademark law is by far more important'?
You would use the concessive preposition ungeachtet, which requires the genitive case. Because Patent is a neuter noun, it becomes des Patents. Bringing it to the front of the sentence causes subject-verb inversion, giving us: Ungeachtet des Patents ist das Markenrecht bei weitem wichtiger.
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