Wir bearbeiten das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs vorsichtig nach.

Because the verb here is nachbearbeiten, which is a separable verb.

• Full infinitive: nachbearbeiten
• In a main clause, the conjugated part goes to the usual verb position, and the prefix goes to the end:

So:

• Wir bearbeiten ... nach.

This is similar to verbs like:

• anrufen → Ich rufe dich an.
• aufmachen → Er macht das Fenster auf.

In subordinate clauses or in the infinitive, it stays together:

• ..., weil wir das Bild nachbearbeiten.
• Wir wollen das Bild nachbearbeiten.

So the split form in the sentence is completely normal.

Nachbearbeiten usually means to edit further, retouch, post-process, or touch up something after an earlier version already exists.

In the context of an image or photo, it often means things like:

• correcting color
• restoring damage
• adjusting contrast or brightness
• cleaning up imperfections

So this is not the basic act of creating the image, but rather working on it afterward.

Das Bild is in the accusative case, because it is the direct object of the verb nachbearbeiten.

The sentence structure is:

• Wir = subject
• bearbeiten ... nach = verb
• das Bild = thing being edited

For das-words, nominative and accusative look the same:

• nominative: das Bild
• accusative: das Bild

So even though the form does not change, the function is accusative here because it is the object of the action.

This is a genitive phrase, showing possession or close relationship.

• das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs = the image of the yellowed photo print

So des vergilbten Fotoabzugs modifies Bild and tells us which image we are talking about.

Breakdown:

• des = genitive singular of der
• Fotoabzugs = genitive singular of Fotoabzug
• vergilbten = adjective ending agreeing with the genitive masculine noun

The base noun is:

• der Fotoabzug = the photo print

In the genitive singular, it becomes:

• des Fotoabzugs

And with the adjective:

• des vergilbten Fotoabzugs

Vergilbt means yellowed or turned yellow with age.

It is the past participle of vergilben, meaning to become yellow. In this sentence, it is being used like an adjective to describe Fotoabzug:

• der vergilbte Fotoabzug = the yellowed photo print

Because the noun is in the genitive after des, the adjective takes the ending -en:

• des vergilbten Fotoabzugs

So the meaning is not that someone intentionally made it yellow, but that it has yellowed over time.

That -s marks the genitive singular of the masculine noun der Fotoabzug.

German often adds -s or -es to masculine and neuter nouns in the genitive singular.

Examples:

• der Hund → des Hundes
• das Bild → des Bildes
• der Fotoabzug → des Fotoabzugs

So Fotoabzugs is not plural here. It is singular genitive.

This is a useful distinction.

• das Bild = the image, picture, or visual content
• der Fotoabzug = the physical photographic print

So the sentence is talking about the image of the yellowed photo print, not necessarily the print itself as a physical object.

That can suggest a situation like:

• scanning an old print
• digitally restoring the image shown on that print

In natural English, depending on context, you might simply say We carefully retouch the image from the yellowed photo print or something similar.

Vorsichtig is an adverb here, meaning carefully.

It describes how the action is done:

• Wir bearbeiten ... vorsichtig nach. = We carefully retouch/edit ...

It is not describing a noun, so it does not get an adjective ending.

Compare:

• der vorsichtige Mann = the careful man
• Er arbeitet vorsichtig. = He works carefully.

Because nach belongs to the separable verb and normally stays at the very end of the clause, while adverbs like vorsichtig usually come before that final verb prefix.

So the pattern is:

• conjugated verb earlier in the sentence
• other elements in the middle
• separable prefix at the end

That gives:

• Wir bearbeiten das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs vorsichtig nach.

You could think of nach as needing to stay attached to the verb structure, even though it is split off.

Yes. It follows standard main-clause word order.

A rough structure is:

• Wir = position 1
• bearbeiten = finite verb in position 2
• das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs = object
• vorsichtig = adverb
• nach = separable prefix at the end

So it is a normal verb-second sentence.

German often places the finite verb early and sends separable prefixes to the end, which can feel unusual to English speakers.

Yes, that is grammatically possible, but it sounds slightly different in emphasis.

Compare:

• Wir bearbeiten das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs vorsichtig nach.
• Wir bearbeiten vorsichtig das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs nach.

Both are possible, but the original version sounds smoother and more neutral because the object stays together and vorsichtig comes later as a comment on the manner of the action.

German word order is flexible, but not random. Moving vorsichtig changes emphasis more than basic meaning.

You could sometimes express a similar idea with a von phrase, but the genitive is more compact and often more formal or written in style.

Compare:

• das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs
• das Bild von dem vergilbten Fotoabzug

The genitive version sounds more natural in many written contexts.

Also, von dem can sometimes feel more like from or belonging to, depending on context, while the genitive here neatly links the two nouns.

Yes, though it is somewhat specific.

A Fotoabzug is a photo print, especially a physical print made from a photo. It is more specific than Foto, which can mean the photo in a general sense.

So:

• das Foto = the photo
• der Fotoabzug = the printed photo / photo print

In a restoration or archival context, Fotoabzug is a very sensible choice.

Yes:

• nachbearbeiten = to retouch / post-process / edit further

Sentence with the infinitive idea made clearer:

• Wir wollen das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs nachbearbeiten.

In the original main clause, that becomes:

• Wir bearbeiten das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs vorsichtig nach.

So if you are looking up the verb, you should look for nachbearbeiten, not just bearbeiten.

In a subordinate clause, the separable verb does not split. The full verb goes to the end.

For example:

• ..., weil wir das Bild des vergilbten Fotoabzugs vorsichtig nachbearbeiten.

That is a very common thing learners need to watch for:

• main clause: Wir bearbeiten ... nach.
• subordinate clause: ..., weil wir ... nachbearbeiten.

Here is a simple breakdown:

• Wir = subject, we
• bearbeiten ... nach = separable verb, retouch / post-process
• das Bild = direct object, the image
• des vergilbten Fotoabzugs = genitive phrase modifying Bild, of the yellowed photo print
• vorsichtig = adverb, carefully

So the sentence is built very regularly, even though the separated nach may make it look harder at first glance.