Breakdown of Sie hat die Entscheidung allein getroffen.
haben
to have
allein
alone, on one's own
eine Entscheidung treffen
to make a decision
Questions & Answers about Sie hat die Entscheidung allein getroffen.
Why does this sentence use getroffen? Doesn't treffen usually mean to meet?
It does! However, eine Entscheidung treffen is a fixed combination (a noun-verb construction). Just like English speakers make a decision, German speakers meet or hit a decision. You cannot use machen here.
What is the difference between saying Sie hat die Entscheidung getroffen and Sie hat entschieden?
Both mean she decided. Using the noun-verb phrase die Entscheidung treffen sounds a bit more formal and puts more focus on the result (the decision itself). It is very common in professional or written German, though you will hear it in everyday speech too.
Why is getroffen at the very end of the sentence?
This is the standard German word order for the perfect tense. The helping verb hat takes the second position, and the past participle getroffen is pushed to the very end of the clause. This creates a bracket around the object die Entscheidung and the adverb allein.
Could I say alleine instead of allein?
Yes, they mean the exact same thing. alleine is simply the spoken, colloquial version, while allein is the standard written form. Because this sentence uses a slightly formal noun-verb phrase, allein matches the tone perfectly.
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