Breakdown of Die Bürger drücken ihr Mitgefühl aus.
ihr
her / their
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Bürger
the citizen
ausdrücken
to express
Questions & Answers about Die Bürger drücken ihr Mitgefühl aus.
Since this lesson covers the prefix tief-, how would we use it to intensify Mitgefühl here?
Because Mitgefühl is a noun, you cannot attach the prefix directly to it as you would with an adjective like tiefbetroffen. Instead, you use the standalone adjective form: ihr tiefes Mitgefühl (their deep sympathy). You could also use a compound adjective, such as ihr tiefempfundenes Mitgefühl (their deeply felt sympathy).
Why use Mitgefühl instead of Mitleid for sympathy?
Mitgefühl means compassion or sympathy, which implies a respectful sharing of someone's sorrow. Mitleid translates more directly to pity (literally suffering with) and can sometimes sound slightly condescending. When citizens or officials express condolences, Mitgefühl is always the standard, polite choice.
Why is the possessive pronoun ihr and not ihres or ihre?
Mitgefühl is a neuter noun (das Mitgefühl), and it acts as the direct object (accusative case) in this sentence. The possessive pronoun for they/their is ihr, and in the neuter accusative, it takes no additional ending.
Is it possible to use äußern instead of ausdrücken to mean express here?