Breakdown of Die Kontrolle an der Grenze dauerte deshalb eine Stunde länger.
deshalb
therefore
an
at
länger
longer
dauern
to last
die Stunde
the hour
die Grenze
the border
die Kontrolle
the check
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Questions & Answers about Die Kontrolle an der Grenze dauerte deshalb eine Stunde länger.
What does deshalb mean and how is it used in this sentence?
deshalb is a causal adverb meaning “therefore,” “so,” or “that’s why.” It links what comes before (some reason or context) to the effect stated here. In German main clauses it typically appears in the “Mittelfeld” (middle field), often right after the finite verb, which is why we see dauerte before deshalb.
Why is die Kontrolle in the nominative case?
die Kontrolle is the subject of the sentence (“the check/control”). Subjects in German take the nominative case. Here it tells us what performed the action of lasting (dauern). Because Kontrolle is feminine, we use die (nominative singular).
What case is an der Grenze, and why is it dative?
The preposition an can govern either dative or accusative. When it indicates location (“at the border”), it takes the dative. Grenze is feminine, so “at the border” becomes an der Grenze (dative singular).
What tense is dauerte, and how does it differ from other past tenses?
dauerte is the simple past (Präteritum) form of dauern. In written or formal German narrative, the Präteritum is common for verbs like dauern. Colloquially, one might hear the present perfect: hat länger gedauert.
Why is it eine Stunde länger rather than länger eine Stunde?
In German the standard order in a noun phrase is: article + noun + adjective. Here eine Stunde (a one-hour period) is followed by the comparative adjective länger (longer). This phrase is an “Accusative of duration,” indicating how much longer something lasted.
Why is there no als (than) before eine Stunde?
When you directly state the amount of time something is longer, you don’t need als. You’d only use als in a comparative clause: for example, Die Kontrolle dauerte länger als erwartet (“The check lasted longer than expected”). But to say “an hour longer,” you simply say eine Stunde länger (or optionally um eine Stunde länger).
Can deshalb appear in a different position?
Yes. If you start the sentence with deshalb, you invert subject and verb:
Deshalb dauerte die Kontrolle an der Grenze eine Stunde länger.
You can also place deshalb at the very end for emphasis:
Die Kontrolle an der Grenze dauerte eine Stunde länger, deshalb.
What’s the difference between deshalb and darum?
Both mean “therefore” or “that’s why.” deshalb is slightly more formal; darum is more colloquial. There’s no change in word order or meaning—they’re interchangeable in most contexts.