Breakdown of Gute Kosmetik kann das Gesicht nicht nur verschönern, sondern auch verjüngen.
gut
good / well
können
can / to be able to
das Gesicht
the face
nicht nur ..., sondern auch
not only ... but also
die Kosmetik
the cosmetics
verschönern
to beautify
verjüngen
to rejuvenate
Questions & Answers about Gute Kosmetik kann das Gesicht nicht nur verschönern, sondern auch verjüngen.
How exactly is the verb verjüngen formed from an adjective here?
It is formed from the base adjective jung (young). By adding the prefix ver-, changing the vowel to an umlaut (ü), and adding the infinitive ending -en, it creates a causative verb. Causative verbs express causing a state to happen, so verjüngen literally means 'to make young' (rejuvenate).
If the rule is ver- + adjective + -en, why is it verschönern and not just verschönen?
Some causative verbs are built using the comparative form of the adjective instead of the base form. verschönern is built from schöner (more beautiful) rather than schön, so it literally means 'to make more beautiful'. You'll see this same comparative pattern in other common verbs like verbessern (from besser) and vergrößern (from größer).
Why is Gute Kosmetik singular when the English translation says 'Good cosmetics'?
In English, 'cosmetics' is a plural noun, but in German, Kosmetik is almost always used as a singular mass noun when referring to makeup or skincare as a general category. If you want to refer to specific, individual items in the plural, you would need to use a compound noun like Kosmetikprodukte or Kosmetikartikel.
In the second half of the sentence, why is the verb verjüngen just sitting there on its own?
This happens because of the two-part conjunction nicht nur ... sondern auch (not only ... but also). When this conjunction connects two verbs that share the exact same subject (Kosmetik), modal verb (kann), and object (das Gesicht), you don't have to repeat all those shared elements. The sentence simply implies '... sondern auch das Gesicht verjüngen kann'.
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