Learn Hardcore German: Unter Zeitdruck passieren leicht Fehler, aber viele Fehler lassen sich sofort vermeiden. - Under time pressure mistakes happen easily, but many mistakes can be avoided immediately.

Unter is a two-way preposition: it takes the dative for a state/location and the accusative for movement. Here it describes a state (“being under time pressure”), so it’s dative. You can see the dative if you add an article/adjective: unter dem Zeitdruck, unter großem Zeitdruck. The bare phrase unter Zeitdruck is idiomatic and hides the case ending.

Why is there no article in unter Zeitdruck?

It’s a set phrase. German often uses bare abstract/mass nouns in fixed prepositional phrases that function adverbially, e.g. unter Druck, ohne Zweifel, mit Geduld. You could say unter dem Zeitdruck in a very specific context, but the idiomatic, general expression is without an article.

Why is the word order passieren leicht Fehler instead of Fehler passieren leicht?

German is verb-second. The sentence starts with the adverbial Unter Zeitdruck (slot 1), so the finite verb passieren must be in slot 2. With an indefinite subject like Fehler, German often places it after the verb for natural information flow: Unter Zeitdruck passieren leicht Fehler. You can also say Unter Zeitdruck passieren Fehler leicht—both are correct, with slightly different rhythm/emphasis.

Can I add dummy es: Es passieren (unter Zeitdruck) leicht Fehler?

Yes. When the subject is indefinite and follows the verb, German often allows an expletive es in first position: Es passieren unter Zeitdruck leicht Fehler. In your original sentence, the first position is already occupied by Unter Zeitdruck, so there’s no room (and no need) for es.

What does leicht mean here? Is it “light” (not heavy)?

Here leicht is an adverb meaning “easily” or “readily,” sometimes “tend to.” So Fehler passieren leicht = “mistakes happen easily/are likely.” It’s not about weight.

Could I use einfach instead of leicht?

Not with the same meaning. Einfach means “simple/just.” Fehler passieren einfach reads like “mistakes just happen” (resignation), not “easily.” For “easily,” use leicht.

Where can leicht go in the sentence?

The two most natural options are:

Unter Zeitdruck passieren leicht Fehler.
Unter Zeitdruck passieren Fehler leicht. Both are fine. Fronting it (e.g., Leicht passieren unter Zeitdruck Fehler) is grammatical but marked/stylistic.

What does the construction lassen sich vermeiden mean?

Lassen sich + Infinitiv expresses that something is possible/doable; it’s a “receptive-reflexive” alternative to the passive. Viele Fehler lassen sich vermeiden ≈ “Many mistakes can be avoided” or “are avoidable.” It’s common and stylistically smooth.

How does lassen sich vermeiden differ from können vermieden werden or man kann … vermeiden?

All three are correct:

Viele Fehler lassen sich (sofort) vermeiden. Neutral, concise, slightly stylistic.
Viele Fehler können (sofort) vermieden werden. True passive; a bit more formal/explicit.
Man kann viele Fehler (sofort) vermeiden. Active with generic “one/you”; more direct and conversational.

Does sich agree with the plural Fehler?

In the 3rd person, the reflexive pronoun is sich for both singular and plural: Der Fehler lässt sich vermeiden. / Viele Fehler lassen sich vermeiden. So it doesn’t change form with number.

Why is sofort placed before vermeiden, and can it go elsewhere?

Adverbs like sofort typically sit in the “middle field,” before the non-finite verb at the end: … lassen sich sofort vermeiden. You can front it for emphasis: Sofort lassen sich viele Fehler vermeiden. But … lassen sich vermeiden sofort sounds wrong.

Is the comma before aber required, and what happens to word order after aber?

Yes. You’re connecting two independent clauses, so the comma is required. Aber is a coordinating conjunction, so the second clause remains verb-second: …, aber viele Fehler lassen sich sofort vermeiden. (Contrast this with subordinators like weil, which send the verb to the end.)

Could I use doch, jedoch, or allerdings instead of aber?

…, doch … works like aber (coordinating; comma required).
Jedoch is usually a sentence adverb: Viele Fehler lassen sich jedoch sofort vermeiden (it tends to appear after the first element).
Allerdings is also an adverb meaning “however”; it’s often better in a new sentence: … . Allerdings lassen sich viele Fehler sofort vermeiden.

Why passieren with Fehler? Could I say Fehler machen or use geschehen/vorkommen?

Fehler passieren is the idiomatic intransitive way to say “mistakes happen.”
Einen Fehler machen is transitive and highlights an agent (“to make a mistake”).
Fehler geschehen/vorkommen also work; geschehen sounds a bit more formal/literary; vorkommen means “occur.”

How do I say “mistakes happen to me” in German?

Use a dative experiencer with passieren: Unter Zeitdruck passieren mir leicht Fehler. (mir/dir/ihm/ihr/uns/euch/ihnen)

Is Zeitdruck countable, and can I modify it?

It’s typically used as an abstract mass noun in this phrase, but you can modify it: unter hohem/starkem/erheblichem Zeitdruck. A plural is rare and would usually be specific/technical.

What’s the difference between leicht and schnell here?

leicht = “easily/with little effort/likely.”
schnell = “quickly/fast.” So Fehler passieren leicht ≈ they’re likely/easy to make; Fehler passieren schnell ≈ they happen quickly (in a short time). Different nuance.

Are there near-synonyms for unter Zeitdruck?

Yes: in Zeitnot (“short of time”), unter Druck (“under pressure”), bei Zeitdruck (less idiomatic), or full clauses like wenn man unter Zeitdruck steht. The fixed phrase unter Zeitdruck is the most standard.