Breakdown of Die Stadt hat eine Studie in Auftrag gegeben.
haben
to have
die Stadt
the city
die Studie
the study
in Auftrag geben
to commission
Questions & Answers about Die Stadt hat eine Studie in Auftrag gegeben.
What is the Nomen-Verb-Verbindung in this sentence?
The fixed construction is etwas in Auftrag geben, which means to commission something or to place an order for something. It is a Nomen-Verb-Verbindung (noun-verb combination) where the preposition, noun, and verb work together to express a single, specific action.
Why is there no article before Auftrag? Shouldn't it be in den Auftrag?
In many Nomen-Verb-Verbindungen, the noun drops its article because it forms an abstract, fixed unit with the verb rather than referring to a specific physical thing. You just say in Auftrag geben, similar to the English phrase to take into account instead of into the account.
How does the object eine Studie interact with this fixed phrase?
The thing being commissioned simply becomes the direct accusative object of the verb geben. The structure is always etwas (Akkusativ) in Auftrag geben. Here, eine Studie is that accusative object.
Could I just use a single verb like beauftragen instead of this whole phrase?
You can, but they are used slightly differently. The verb beauftragen is typically used when you are talking about the person or company receiving the task (for example, Die Stadt hat einen Experten beauftragt). When you want to focus on the thing being created or done, like a study or a project, etwas in Auftrag geben is the most natural choice.
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