Der hohe Druck in der Maschine sorgt dafür, dass das Bild sicher verpackt wird.

Der hohe Druck in der Maschine sorgt dafür, dass das Bild sicher verpackt wird.
The high pressure in the machine ensures that the picture is packed safely.
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Questions & Answers about Der hohe Druck in der Maschine sorgt dafür, dass das Bild sicher verpackt wird.

What does sorgt dafür, dass mean?

This is an idiomatic phrase meaning “ensures that” or “makes sure that.”

  • sorgen = to take care of, to see to something
  • dafür = literally “for that,” linking the verb to the upcoming fact
  • dass introduces the clause explaining what is being ensured
What is the role of dafür in sorgt dafür, dass?
  • dafür is part of the fixed expression dafür sorgen, dass.
  • It doesn’t stand alone with its usual meaning “for that” here, but signals that a subordinate clause with dass will follow.
  • In informal speech you might drop it (“sorgt, dass…”), but the full form sorgt dafür, dass is more precise and standard.
Why is dass used, and why does wird end up at the end of the clause?
  • dass is a subordinating conjunction, used to introduce a subordinate clause.
  • In German subordinate clauses introduced by dass, the finite verb moves to the very end.
  • That’s why you see verpackt wird rather than wird verpackt in that mini‑sentence.
How do we form the passive voice in das Bild sicher verpackt wird?

German present‑tense passive is built with:

  1. The auxiliary werden in the correct person/number → wird (3rd person singular)
  2. The past participle of the main verb → verpackt (from verpacken)
    Together: wird verpackt.
    The original object (das Bild) becomes the grammatical subject in the passive and takes nominative case.
What is the function of sicher here? Is it an adjective or an adverb?

Here sicher is an adverb meaning “safely” or “securely.” It describes how the picture is being packaged. In German, adverbs of manner typically appear right before the verb or verb phrase they modify.

Why is the adjective hohe not hoher, hohes, or another form?

Adjective endings depend on the article, case, gender, and number. In our sentence:

  • Article: der (definite article, masculine nominative)
  • Noun: Druck (masculine, singular)
    Because a definite article is present, we use the weak declension ending. For masculine nominative that ending is -e, giving hohe.
Why is in der Maschine in the dative case?

The preposition in takes:

  • Accusative if there is movement into something (Wo + Wohin?)
  • Dative if it describes location (Wo?)
    Since the sentence states where the high pressure exists (inside the machine), in governs the dative. die Maschine → der Maschine.
Why is das Bild in the nominative case instead of the accusative?

In passive voice, the former direct object becomes the grammatical subject. Subjects in German are in the nominative case. Therefore das Bild stands in nominative, even though as an active object it would have been accusative.

Can I rewrite this sentence using an um … zu infinitive clause?

Yes, you can express purpose with um … zu. For example:
• Um das Bild sicher zu verpacken, sorgt der hohe Druck in der Maschine.
Note the inversion after the fronted infinitive clause: sorgt der hohe Druck …. The meaning remains essentially the same.

Is it acceptable to omit dafür and simply say sorgt, dass?
Colloquially, speakers often drop dafür and say sorgt, dass. However, in more formal or precise contexts the full phrase sorgt dafür, dass is preferred. Omission of dafür can sound less exact.