Learn Hardcore German: Wegen der Baustelle bauen wir provisorisch eine kleine Brücke. - Because of the construction site we are building a small temporary bridge.

In standard German, the preposition wegen governs the genitive case. Baustelle is feminine, and the feminine singular genitive article is der. So wegen der Baustelle = “because of the construction site.”

But der Baustelle could also be dative, right—so which case is it here?

Formally it’s the genitive. It looks identical to the dative because feminine singular genitive and dative both use der. You can see the difference with masculine/neuter nouns:

Genitive: wegen des Regens (because of the rain)
Colloquial dative: wegen dem Regen

Is it acceptable to use the dative after wegen in everyday speech?

Yes, many native speakers say dative (wegen dem Wetter). It’s very common in conversation and in some regions (e.g., parts of southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland). For careful or formal writing, prefer the genitive: wegen des Wetters. In your sentence, the form doesn’t change because it’s feminine.

Why is the verb before the subject (bauen wir) after the initial phrase?

German main clauses are “verb-second” (V2). If you put a phrase first (Wegen der Baustelle), the finite verb must occupy position 2, so the subject follows it: … bauen wir …. Without fronting, you can say: Wir bauen provisorisch eine kleine Brücke (wegen der Baustelle).

Where should the adverb provisorisch go?

Adverbs describing manner typically sit in the middle field, often before a full noun object:

Natural: Wir bauen provisorisch eine kleine Brücke.
Also possible (slightly different emphasis): Wir bauen eine kleine Brücke provisorisch.
Fronting is possible for emphasis: Provisorisch bauen wir … A handy rule of thumb for ordering adverbials is often taught as Te-Ka-Mo-Lo (Time–Cause–Manner–Place). Here, wegen der Baustelle (cause) is fronted, and provisorisch (manner) stays inside the clause before the object.

What nuance does provisorisch have compared to words like vorläufig or temporär?

provisorisch: makeshift, improvised, cobbled-together and temporary.
vorläufig: provisional/for the time being (focus on “not final” rather than “makeshift”).
temporär: temporary (neutral/formal, often administrative/technical).
übergangsweise: as an interim measure; for the transition period.
notdürftig: makeshift in the sense of “barely adequate.” In your sentence, provisorisch suggests a stopgap bridge built quickly to tide people over.

Could I say eine provisorische kleine Brücke instead of using provisorisch as an adverb?

Yes, but it slightly shifts the focus:

Wir bauen provisorisch eine kleine Brücke. (Focus on the manner of building—this is a stopgap measure.)
Wir bauen eine provisorische kleine Brücke. (Adjectival: the bridge itself is of a provisional/makeshift kind.) Both are idiomatic; choose based on what you want to emphasize.

Why is it eine kleine Brücke and not einen kleinen Brücke?

Because Brücke is feminine. The direct object is in the accusative, and the feminine accusative article is eine. The adjective gets -e: eine kleine Brücke. If it were masculine (e.g., der Steg), you’d have einen kleinen Steg in the accusative.

What are the genders and plurals of Baustelle and Brücke?

die Baustelle (feminine), plural die Baustellen.
die Brücke (feminine), plural die Brücken. Both nouns are capitalized in German.

Could I say wegen einer Baustelle instead of wegen der Baustelle?

Yes. wegen der Baustelle implies a specific, known site. wegen einer Baustelle means “because of a construction site” (unspecified/indefinite). Choose the article based on whether the site is known to both speaker and listener.

What’s the difference between using wegen and weil to express the cause?

wegen + noun phrase: Wegen der Baustelle bauen wir … (prepositional phrase; main clause stays V2).
weil + clause: Weil dort eine Baustelle ist, bauen wir … (subordinate clause; the finite verb goes to the end of that clause). Both are natural; wegen is more compact when your cause is a noun phrase.

Are there more formal or alternative prepositions to wegen?

Yes:

aufgrund (neutral/formal): Aufgrund der Baustelle …
infolge (formal/literary): Infolge der Baustelle …
bedingt durch (phrase): Bedingt durch die Baustelle … They all take the genitive in standard usage.

Can I drop the article and say Wegen Baustelle … like on signs?

That’s common in notices and headlines (elliptical style): Wegen Baustelle gesperrt or Wegen Bauarbeiten. In full sentences, everyday standard German prefers the article: Wegen der Baustelle … or Wegen von Bauarbeiten is not standard; use wegen der Bauarbeiten.

Do I need a comma after the initial phrase?

No. A fronted prepositional phrase doesn’t require a comma: Wegen der Baustelle bauen wir …. Commas are required before/after subordinate clauses (e.g., with weil), not simple adverbials.

How do I pronounce the key words?

wegen: w = v; roughly “VAY-gen” (the first syllable long).
Baustelle: “BOW-shtel-le” (like “bough” + “shtel-le”).
Brücke: “BRÜK-ke” — the ü is a fronted, rounded vowel (like French u in “lune,” but short).