Breakdown of Der Chef unterschätzt die Synergie dreier Abteilungen.
drei
three
der Chef
the boss (male)
die Abteilung
the department
unterschätzen
to underestimate
Questions & Answers about Der Chef unterschätzt die Synergie dreier Abteilungen.
Why is it dreier and not just drei here?
The number drei takes the genitive ending -er because it indicates 'of three'. This happens when the numbers zwei or drei are used before a noun in the genitive case that doesn't have an article or adjective to clearly show the case. Here, dreier Abteilungen translates to 'of three departments'.
Would I still use dreier if there were an adjective describing the departments?
Usually no. If there were an adjective showing the strong genitive case, like neuer, you would drop the -er on the number. For example, it would become die Synergie drei neuer Abteilungen. The -er ending on zwei and drei is generally only needed as a fallback when there is no other marker to prove the noun is genitive.
Why doesn't the verb prefix unter- move to the end of the sentence?
The verb unterschätzen (to underestimate) is inseparable. While unter- acts as a separable prefix in some verbs, it is inseparable here. Therefore, it stays firmly attached to the conjugated verb rather than being kicked to the end of the clause.
How can I easily remember the gender of the noun Synergie?