Breakdown of Der Arzt muss bei der Dosierung immer das Alter bedenken.
immer
always
müssen
to have to, must
der Arzt
the doctor
das Alter
the old age / the age
bei
in the event of, during
bedenken
to consider (take into account)
die Dosierung
the dosage
Questions & Answers about Der Arzt muss bei der Dosierung immer das Alter bedenken.
Why is bei used here instead of für to mean 'for the dosage'?
In German, bei is frequently used to mean 'when dealing with', 'in the context of', or 'during an action'. While English says 'for the dosage', German conceptualizes this as 'during the dosing process' (bei der Dosierung). Using für here would sound unnatural to a native speaker, almost as if the age were a gift intended for the dosage.
What is the difference between bedenken and nachdenken?
Bedenken means to take something into consideration or keep a specific factor in mind to avoid making a mistake. It takes a direct accusative object (das Alter). Nachdenken (which is usually paired with über) means to ponder or reflect thoughtfully on something. A doctor doesn't just sit and ponder a patient's age; they must actively factor it into their medical decision, which makes bedenken the correct verb.
How could we rewrite this sentence to use the impersonal 'es bleibt zu' structure from this lesson?
You could say: Es bleibt bei der Dosierung immer das Alter zu bedenken. (It always remains necessary to consider the age for the dosage). To do this, you drop the specific subject (der Arzt) and the modal verb (muss), replacing them with the bleiben + zu + infinitive structure to express a general, impersonal expectation or necessity.
Why does the time adverb immer come before the direct object das Alter?
In German, adverbs of time (words answering 'when' or 'how often', like immer) almost always come before noun objects. This follows the standard word order rule where time elements are placed very early in the middle of the sentence, pushing the accusative noun object (das Alter) closer to the end.
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