Breakdown of Diese neue Mine ist für den Abbau von Erz.
sein
to be
neu
new
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
von
from, of / by (agent in passive clauses)
für
for
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Abbau
the mining
die Mine
the mine (explosive, pit)
das Erz
the ore
Questions & Answers about Diese neue Mine ist für den Abbau von Erz.
Why do we use von Erz here instead of the genitive des Erzes or just Erzes?
Because Erz is used here as a bare mass noun, meaning it has no article or adjective in front of it. While you could say der Abbau des Erzes if you meant the mining of one specific ore, general statements without articles cannot stand alone in the genitive case in German. The phrase der Abbau Erzes is ungrammatical, so you must use von + Dative as a mandatory replacement.
Why is it für den Abbau and not in the dative case?
The preposition für is a strict accusative preposition. It always forces the following noun phrase into the accusative case, regardless of the context. Since Abbau is a masculine noun (der Abbau), the article must change to den.
Doesn't Abbau usually mean dismantling or reducing?
Yes, the verb abbauen often means to dismantle something (like a tent) or to reduce something (like stress or staff). However, in the context of geology and industry, der Abbau specifically translates to the extraction or mining of natural resources like Erz (ore) or Kohle (coal).
Is Erz always used as a singular mass noun?
It is usually treated as an uncountable mass noun in the singular when referring to the material in general. However, the plural form die Erze does exist and is used when you need to talk about different distinct types or categories of ores.
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