Breakdown of Der Import von Kohle ist leicht zu kontrollieren.
sein
to be
von
from, of / by (agent in passive clauses)
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
kontrollieren
to inspect
leicht
easily / easy (also: light in weight)
die Kohle
the coal
der Import
the import
Questions & Answers about Der Import von Kohle ist leicht zu kontrollieren.
Why do we use von Kohle here instead of the Genitive case (der Import Kohle)?
In German, the Genitive case must be visibly marked by an article, an adjective ending, or a noun ending (like -s). Because Kohle is a feminine mass noun used here without an article, its Genitive form (Kohle) has no special ending to show its case. When the Genitive would be 'invisible' like this, German forces you to use von + Dative instead.
Could I say der Import der Kohle if I wanted to use the Genitive?
Yes, adding the definite article der makes the Genitive case visible, so der Import der Kohle is grammatically perfectly fine. However, it changes the meaning slightly to 'the import of the coal' (referring to specific coal), rather than the general concept of importing coal.
How does the phrase ist leicht zu kontrollieren work? Is it a passive voice?
This structure (sein + zu + infinitive) is a very common alternative to the passive voice in German. It expresses that something can or must be done. Here, ist leicht zu kontrollieren means that the import can easily be controlled, acting just like the English 'is easy to control'.
Why is it leicht and not einfach here?
Both leicht and einfach can mean 'easy', and they are completely interchangeable in this context. You could absolutely say ist einfach zu kontrollieren. Leicht often leans slightly toward 'requires little effort' (light), while einfach leans toward 'uncomplicated' (simple), but here the difference is negligible.
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