Breakdown of Ist der Einsatzleiter in der Lage, diesen Waldbrand zu stoppen?
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
zu
to (infinitive marker)
stoppen
to stop (an action / a process)
der Waldbrand
the forest fire
in der Lage sein
to be in a position to
der Einsatzleiter
the incident commander
Questions & Answers about Ist der Einsatzleiter in der Lage, diesen Waldbrand zu stoppen?
How does in der Lage sein compare to just using können here?
In der Lage sein means to be in a position or to be able. It is a formal, noun-based alternative to the modal verb können. If we used können, the sentence would simply be: Kann der Einsatzleiter diesen Waldbrand stoppen? The meaning is identical, but the nominal phrase sounds more official and professional.
Why is there a comma before diesen Waldbrand zu stoppen?
The comma separates the main clause (Ist der Einsatzleiter in der Lage) from the extended infinitive clause (diesen Waldbrand zu stoppen). When an infinitive phrase with zu depends on a noun phrase like in der Lage, the comma is used to clearly mark the boundary and clarify the sentence structure.
How is the word Einsatzleiter formed?
It is a compound noun made of der Einsatz (the operation, deployment, or mission) and der Leiter (the leader or director). You will often hear it in the context of police, fire, or rescue operations to refer to the head of operations or incident commander.
Why do we use diesen instead of dieser for the forest fire?
Waldbrand is a masculine noun (der Waldbrand). Because it acts as the direct object of the verb stoppen inside the infinitive clause, it must be in the accusative case. Therefore, the demonstrative pronoun takes the masculine accusative ending, becoming diesen.
Learn Ist der Einsatzleiter in der Lage, diesen Waldbrand zu stoppen 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