Breakdown of Die Feuerwehr kommt schnell, wenn ein Notfall gemeldet wird.
kommen
to come
schnell
quickly
wenn
when
der Notfall
the emergency
Questions & Answers about Die Feuerwehr kommt schnell, wenn ein Notfall gemeldet wird.
Why is Die Feuerwehr treated as singular and feminine even though it refers to a group of people?
Because Feuerwehr is a collective noun in German that is grammatically feminine singular. Even when it denotes the entire fire department (a group of individuals), it still takes die and behaves like a singular noun.
What part of speech is schnell, and why does it come right after the verb kommt?
Here schnell is an adverb modifying kommt. In German main clauses, the finite verb must occupy the second position (the V2 rule), so adverbs typically follow immediately after the verb.
Why is there a comma before wenn?
wenn introduces a subordinate clause. In German, you must separate main and subordinate clauses with a comma.
Why does wird appear at the end of the subordinate clause wenn ein Notfall gemeldet wird?
In a subordinate clause, the finite verb (here wird) moves to the very end of that clause.
What construction is gemeldet wird, and how does it differ from an active sentence?