Breakdown of Durch regelmäßige Wiederholung bleiben die neuen Wörter länger im Kopf.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
neu
new
bleiben
to stay
Questions & Answers about Durch regelmäßige Wiederholung bleiben die neuen Wörter länger im Kopf.
What does durch mean here, and why is it followed by regelmäßige Wiederholung in this form?
Durch is a preposition that usually means through or by means of.
In this sentence, Durch regelmäßige Wiederholung means “through regular repetition / by repeating regularly”. It describes the means or method by which the words stay in your head.
Grammatically:
- durch always takes the accusative case.
- Wiederholung is a feminine noun (die Wiederholung). In the accusative singular feminine, the ending is the same as nominative: die Wiederholung.
- There’s no article here (no die), so we have a “zero article” (general statement).
- With no article, the adjective takes a strong ending: regelmäßige.
So:
- Preposition: durch (+ accusative)
- Case: accusative singular feminine
- Form: (durch) regelmäßige Wiederholung
Why is the verb bleiben in second position, even though the sentence doesn’t start with the subject?