Breakdown of Das Fechten ist ein rasanter, wenngleich ermüdender Sport.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
der Sport
the sports
das Fechten
the fencing
rasant
fast-paced
ermüdend
exhausting (tiring)
wenngleich
although
Questions & Answers about Das Fechten ist ein rasanter, wenngleich ermüdender Sport.
Can I use obwohl instead of wenngleich here to just link the two adjectives?
You could say ein rasanter, obwohl ermüdender Sport, but wenngleich is much more natural and elegant for this type of shortened clause where the verb is left out. It translates perfectly to the English word albeit. If you use obwohl, it is much more common to write out the full clause: ein rasanter Sport, obwohl er ermüdend ist.
Why do both rasanter and ermüdender have the exact same -er ending?
They are both describing the masculine noun Sport in the nominative case. Because the indefinite article ein does not show the gender here, the adjectives must take the strong ending -er to show it is masculine. The conjunction wenngleich just links them and does not affect the case.
Does the -er in ermüdender make it a comparative meaning more exhausting?
No, the -er here is purely the masculine adjective ending. The base adjective is ermüdend (exhausting), which is the present participle of the verb ermüden (to exhaust). If you wanted to use the comparative form to say a more exhausting sport, it would actually be ein ermüdenderer Sport.
Why is the definite article Das used before Fechten, when English just says Fencing?
When German turns an infinitive verb into a noun to describe a general activity, it is capitalized and always neuter. It typically takes the definite article das in a generic statement like this. English usually drops the article for sports and gerunds, but German prefers to keep it.
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