Breakdown of Ist die Zentrale in der Lage, alle Hubschrauber zu koordinieren?
alle
all, everyone
zu
to (infinitive marker)
der Hubschrauber
the helicopter
die Zentrale
the command center
in der Lage sein
to be in a position to
koordinieren
to coordinate (e.g. activities, efforts)
Questions & Answers about Ist die Zentrale in der Lage, alle Hubschrauber zu koordinieren?
How does using in der Lage sein change the tone compared to simply asking Kann die Zentrale... koordinieren?
in der Lage sein is a formal alternative to the modal verb können. It elevates the register, making the sentence sound more professional, technical, or official. This fits perfectly here, as discussing a command center (Zentrale) coordinating helicopters belongs to a formal or operational context.
What does the word Lage literally mean outside of this expression?
die Lage generally translates to "location," "position," or "situation." In the fixed phrase in der Lage sein, it refers to being in the physical or circumstantial position to accomplish something.
Is the comma before alle Hubschrauber mandatory here?
Yes. While German punctuation rules allow you to drop the comma for simple zu + infinitive phrases, a comma is strictly required when the infinitive phrase depends on a noun in the main clause. Here, the phrase alle Hubschrauber zu koordinieren depends directly on the noun die Lage.
Why is it alle Hubschrauber and not allen or aller?
The phrase alle Hubschrauber is the direct object of the verb koordinieren inside the infinitive clause, so it must be in the accusative case. For plural nouns in the accusative, the ending for the word all- is simply -e.
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