Breakdown of Der Chef unterschätzt die Synergie dreier Abteilungen.
drei
three
der Chef
the boss (male)
die Abteilung
the department
unterschätzen
to underestimate
die Synergie
the synergy
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?
It is feminine (die Synergie), which is highly predictable. Almost all German nouns that end in the suffix -ie (such as die Energie, die Familie, or die Kopie) are feminine.
Learn Der Chef unterschätzt die Synergie dreier 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