Breakdown of Die Zugbahn lässt sich auf dem Radar gut vorhersagen.
gut
good / well
auf
on / to (down/up to a level)
vorhersagen
to predict
sich lassen
can be done (sich lassen + infinitive)
die Zugbahn
the track
das Radar
the radar
Questions & Answers about Die Zugbahn lässt sich auf dem Radar gut vorhersagen.
Why does the sentence use lässt sich ... vorhersagen instead of a normal passive construction?
The phrase sich lassen + infinitive is a common, often more elegant alternative to the passive voice with a modal verb (kann vorhergesagt werden). It expresses possibility or feasibility, meaning 'can be predicted' or 'is predictable'.
What exactly does Zugbahn mean, and is it related to trains (der Zug)?
While der Zug translates to 'train', it originates from the verb ziehen (to pull or move). In scientific or meteorological contexts, der Zug refers to the continuous movement of a system. Combined with die Bahn (path or track), die Zugbahn specifically means the 'track' or 'trajectory' of something, like a storm or a comet.
Why do we use the preposition auf with dem Radar here?
In German, the preposition auf (on) is used for images, displays, and screens where information is projected onto a surface. Because it answers the question 'where?' (a fixed location rather than a direction of movement), it triggers the dative case: auf dem Radar.
Why is the separable verb vorhersagen not split up at the end of this sentence?
This is due to the modal-like construction lässt sich. The conjugated verb lässt takes the standard second position, which pushes the main action verb (vorhersagen) to the very end of the clause in its full infinitive form. If this were a simple present-tense sentence without lassen, it would split: Man sagt die Zugbahn gut vorher.
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