Breakdown of Nachhaltige Energie hilft, Kosten zu senken.
helfen
to help
die Energie
the energy
die Kosten
the cost
senken
to reduce
nachhaltig
sustainable
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Questions & Answers about Nachhaltige Energie hilft, Kosten zu senken.
Why is there no article before Nachhaltige Energie?
In German, when you speak about something in a general or abstract sense (like sustainable energy in general), you often omit the article. Here it’s a generic statement: “Sustainable energy helps reduce costs.” So you don’t need die before Nachhaltige Energie.
What is the adjective ending on Nachhaltige, and why is it -e?
Energie is a feminine noun (die Energie). In the nominative singular, a preceding adjective without an article takes the -e ending for feminine nouns. That’s why it’s Nachhaltige Energie (and not Nachhaltiger Energie).
Why is there a comma before Kosten?
German sets off extended infinitive clauses with a comma. Here, Kosten zu senken is an infinitive clause introduced by zu and has its own object (Kosten), so you write helfen, Kosten zu senken with a comma before the infinitive group.
Why is there a zu before senken?
The verb helfen is often followed by an infinitive clause introduced by zu:
helfen, etwas zu tun
This zu marks the subordinate infinitive senken in Kosten zu senken (“to reduce costs”).
Why isn’t there a dative object for helfen? Shouldn’t it be helfen uns, Kosten zu senken?
Helfen normally takes a dative object (e.g. ich helfe dir). In impersonal or general statements, the dative object can be omitted because it’s understood (it’s “us” or “businesses”). So Nachhaltige Energie hilft, Kosten zu senken means “sustainable energy helps (us/in general) reduce costs.”
What case are Kosten and why is it plural?
Kosten is always plural in German (there’s no singular Cost). Here it’s the object of the infinitive clause Kosten zu senken, so it remains in the accusative plural. The form is identical to the base: die Kosten.
Could you replace senken with reduzieren?
Yes. reduzieren is a synonym meaning “to reduce.” You can say Nachhaltige Energie hilft, Kosten zu reduzieren. Both sentences are correct and mean the same.
What’s the difference between senken and sinken? They look similar.
- senken (transitive): to lower something (e.g. costs, prices). It requires a direct object: etwas senken.
- sinken (intransitive): to sink or go down by itself (e.g. a boat sinks, temperatures sink). You cannot use sinken with a direct object.
In this sentence you senkst costs (you lower them), so senken is correct.