Breakdown of Wir müssten den Marktanteil dreier Marken vergleichen.
wir
we
drei
three
müssen
to have to, must
vergleichen
to compare
Questions & Answers about Wir müssten den Marktanteil dreier Marken vergleichen.
Why does the number drei have an -er ending here?
The phrase dreier Marken means 'of three brands', which requires the genitive case. When the numbers zwei and drei are used in the genitive plural and aren't preceded by an article (like der) or a pronoun (like meiner) that already shows the case, they take the ending -er. This makes drei become dreier.
Could I just say von drei Marken instead of dreier Marken?
Yes, using von with the dative case (von drei Marken) is a perfectly correct and very common alternative, especially in spoken German. However, in written or professional contexts, using the genitive dreier Marken is preferred because it sounds more concise and elegant.
Why is the verb müssten used instead of müssen?
Müssten is the Konjunktiv II (Subjunctive II) form of müssen. While wir müssen means 'we have to' (a hard fact or obligation), wir müssten translates to 'we would have to'. This makes the statement hypothetical, sounding like a polite suggestion or a scenario being considered.
Why is the accusative den used before Marktanteil?