Breakdown of Die untere Taste macht die Lautstärke leiser.
machen
to make
die Lautstärke
the volume
die Taste
the button
untere
lower
Questions & Answers about Die untere Taste macht die Lautstärke leiser.
What exactly does the adjective untere mean here? Is it “lower” or “bottom”?
untere means “lower” (the lower one of at least two items). If you want to say “lowest/bottommost,” use the superlative unterste.
- With two buttons stacked vertically: die untere Taste = the lower (i.e., bottom) button.
- With three or more: use die unterste Taste for the very bottom one.
Opposite: die obere Taste (“the upper button”); superlative: die oberste Taste (“the topmost button”).
Why is it untere and not unteren? How do the endings work?
Because Taste is feminine and the subject (nominative), and with the definite article die, the adjective takes the ending -e: die untere Taste.
A few quick contrasts:
- Nominative feminine: die untere Taste
- Accusative feminine: die untere Taste
- Dative feminine: der unteren Taste
- Nominative masculine: der untere Knopf
- Accusative masculine: den unteren Knopf
- Dative masculine: dem unteren Knopf
What is leiser doing in this sentence, and why is it at the end?