Breakdown of Der Großmeister gilt als unbesiegbar.
gelten als
to be considered as
der Großmeister
the grandmaster
unbesiegbar
invincible
Questions & Answers about Der Großmeister gilt als unbesiegbar.
Why doesn't unbesiegbar have an adjective ending after als?
In this sentence, gelten als acts like a linking verb (similar to sein). Because unbesiegbar describes the subject but isn't placed directly in front of a noun, it acts as a predicate adjective and takes no declension ending.
If I wanted to use a noun instead of an adjective here, what case would it be in?
It would be in the nominative case. Because gelten als is a linking verb phrase, the noun that follows it just renames the subject. For example: Der Großmeister gilt als ein echtes Genie (The grandmaster is considered a true genius).
What are the other common meanings of the root verb gelten?
Besides meaning "to be considered" when paired with als, gelten is very commonly used on its own to mean "to be valid" or "to apply." For instance, Der Pass gilt für fünf Jahre (The passport is valid for five years) or Diese Regel gilt für alle (This rule applies to everyone).
How does the suffix -bar work in the word unbesiegbar?
The suffix -bar is the German equivalent of the English "-able" or "-ible." Attached to the verb besiegen (to defeat) along with the negative prefix un-, it creates an adjective that literally translates to "un-defeat-able."
Learn Der Großmeister gilt als unbesiegbar 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