Breakdown of Der Betrag auf der neuen Rechnung ist rot markiert, damit niemand ihn übersieht.
sein
to be
neu
new
auf
on
niemand
nobody
damit
so that
ihn
it
markieren
to mark
rot
red
der Betrag
the amount
die Rechnung
the invoice
übersehen
to overlook
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Questions & Answers about Der Betrag auf der neuen Rechnung ist rot markiert, damit niemand ihn übersieht.
What does Betrag mean in English?
Betrag means “amount” or “sum,” especially a monetary total as on an invoice. It’s a masculine noun (der Betrag).
Why is auf der neuen Rechnung in the dative case, and why does neuen end with -en?
The preposition auf can take dative to indicate location (“on something”). Since we’re saying “on the invoice,” we use dative: feminine die Rechnung becomes dative der Rechnung. After a definite article, adjectives follow the weak declension pattern, so neu takes -en: auf der neuen Rechnung.
What is the function of ist rot markiert? Is this passive?
Yes. ist rot markiert is the Zustandspassiv (stative passive), formed with sein + past participle markiert, describing a resulting state (“is marked”). The word rot here is an adverb modifying the participle, so literally “is marked red.” If you wanted to focus on the action/event itself, you’d use the Vorgangspassiv: wurde rot markiert (“was marked red”).
In damit niemand ihn übersieht, why does the verb übersieht come at the end?
Because damit introduces a subordinate (final) clause in German. All subordinate clauses use S-O-V (subject-object-verb) word order, pushing the conjugated verb to the very end.
What exactly does damit mean here, and could I use um zu or sodass instead?
- damit = “so that” (introducing a purpose clause with a different subject).
- You can’t use um zu here because um zu requires the same subject in both clauses (here the main subject is “der Betrag,” but the subordinate subject is “niemand”).
- You could use sodass (“so that” as a result): sodass niemand ihn übersieht, but that expresses a consequence rather than an intended purpose.
Why is the pronoun ihn necessary in damit niemand ihn übersieht? Could it be omitted?
German transitive verbs generally require an explicit object pronoun for clarity. übersieht (“overlooks”) needs an accusative object, and ihn refers back to den Betrag (masculine accusative). Without it, damit niemand übersieht sounds incomplete.
What does niemand mean, and how does it function grammatically?
niemand means “no one” or “nobody.” It’s an indefinite pronoun that acts as a singular subject, so you pair it with a third-person singular verb form: niemand übersieht.