Breakdown of Der Vorstand lobt die Synergie zweier Abteilungen.
zwei
two
die Abteilung
the department
der Vorstand
the board (of directors)
loben
to praise
die Synergie
the synergy
Questions & Answers about Der Vorstand lobt die Synergie zweier Abteilungen.
Why is the number zwei written as zweier here?
Would it be wrong to say von zwei Abteilungen instead?
Not at all! Using von plus the dative case (von zwei Abteilungen) is grammatically correct and very common, especially in everyday speech. However, the genitive zweier sounds more formal and professional, which fits perfectly with the corporate context of a board (der Vorstand) making a statement.
Does Vorstand refer to one person or the whole committee?
It can be either. Der Vorstand is a collective noun referring to the entire board of directors or executive committee, which is why it takes the singular verb lobt. However, in everyday business German, it is also frequently used to refer to an individual board member or the CEO.
Why doesn't Abteilungen have a special genitive ending?
In German, plural nouns do not get an extra -s or -es ending in the genitive case. Only masculine and neuter singular nouns typically receive those endings. Since die Abteilung is feminine and this is plural, the noun itself just stays in its standard plural form (Abteilungen), and the genitive case is shown entirely by the number zweier.
Learn Der Vorstand lobt die Synergie zweier Abteilungen and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free