……
Breakdown of Wegen einer späten Lieferung wird die Ausstellung erst nächste Woche fertig.
spät
late
werden
to become
die Woche
the week
nächste
next
die Ausstellung
the exhibition
wegen
because of
die Lieferung
the delivery
erst
only
fertig
ready
Questions & Answers about Wegen einer späten Lieferung wird die Ausstellung erst nächste Woche fertig.
Why is wegen followed by einer späten Lieferung in the genitive case instead of using the dative?
wegen is one of the German prepositions that traditionally governs the genitive. In the genitive singular feminine, eine späte Lieferung becomes einer späten Lieferung. In colloquial speech you might hear the dative (wegen einer späten Lieferung), but in standard written German the genitive is preferred.
Why is the finite verb wird placed immediately after the initial phrase?
German main clauses follow the verb‑second (V2) rule. The fronted prepositional phrase wegen einer späten Lieferung acts as the first constituent, so the finite verb wird must come next, followed by the subject die Ausstellung.
What does erst add to nächste Woche?
Here erst means “not before” or “only.” erst nächste Woche emphasizes that the earliest possible completion is next week—implying it won’t be ready any sooner.
Why is nächste Woche not declined with an article?
Time expressions in German often appear as bare accusative adverbials without an article. nächste Woche (“next week”) remains undeclined, functioning purely as a temporal adverbial.
Why is fertig placed at the end and used without sein?
In the construction wird … fertig, fertig is a predicative adjective marking the result state (“to become finished”). Because fertig werden already conveys the idea of “becoming finished,” there’s no separate sein. Word‑order rules push fertig to the end.
Could you use ist instead of wird here?
Yes. You could say:
Wegen einer späten Lieferung ist die Ausstellung erst nächste Woche fertig.
Using ist simply states a static fact (“is ready”), while wird fertig highlights the process or future completion.
Should there be a comma after Lieferung?
No. A comma is only required before subordinate clauses or in lists. Since wegen einer späten Lieferung is just a fronted prepositional phrase, no comma is needed.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do German cases work?”
German has four grammatical cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possession). The case determines the form of articles and adjectives. For example, "the dog" is "der Hund" as a subject but "den Hund" as a direct object.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning GermanMaster German — from Wegen einer späten Lieferung wird die Ausstellung erst nächste Woche fertig to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions