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Vocab: Size & shape — B2
Size & shape vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
das Ausmaß — extent, scale, magnitude
Ausmaß is usually used for the extent or seriousness of a problem, event, or damage. For physical length or width, Maß or Abmessung is often more suitable.
Das Ausmaß des Problems ist noch unklar.
The extent of the problem is still unclear.
das Problem means the problem and unklar means unclear. Das Ausmaß is nominative because it is the subject, while des Problems is genitive because it identifies the extent of what; the verb ist stands in position two.
Wir müssen das Ausmaß der Schäden prüfen.
We have to assess the extent of the damage.
müssen means have to, die Schäden means the damage, and prüfen means assess or check. Das Ausmaß is accusative because prüfen takes a direct object; müssen is in position two and prüfen goes to the end.
Die Experten nähern sich dem Ausmaß der Katastrophe an.
The experts are approaching the scale of the catastrophe.
die Experten means the experts, sich annähern means approach, and die Katastrophe means the catastrophe. Dem Ausmaß is dative because sich annähern takes a dative object; the separable verb has nähern in position two and an at the end.
Die Folgen des Ausmaßes sind schwer einzuschätzen.
The consequences of the scale are difficult to assess.
die Folgen means the consequences and schwer einzuschätzen means difficult to assess. Des Ausmaßes is genitive because it identifies the scale connected with the consequences; the verb sind agrees with the plural subject Folgen.
Die Ausmaße der Überschwemmung sind erschreckend.
The extent of the flooding is frightening.
die Überschwemmung means the flooding and erschreckend means frightening. Ausmaße is plural and nominative, so the verb is plural sind; der Überschwemmung is genitive and means “of the flooding”.
nieder — low, base, inferior
This adjective is formal and often describes low rank or morally base behaviour. In everyday German, niedrig is usually preferred for physical height or measurements, while nieder is especially common in fixed or literary expressions.
Seine Motive sind nieder.
His motives are base.
seine Motive means his motives, and bas means morally bad or dishonourable. nieder is a predicative adjective after sein, so it has no ending; the finite verb sind is in position two.
Er folgte einem niederen Instinkt.
He followed a base instinct.
folgen means to follow, and der Instinkt is an instinct. einem niederen Instinkt is dative because folgen governs the dative; the adjective takes -en after the dative article einem.
Dieser Rang ist niederer als der andere.
This rank is lower than the other one.
dieser Rang means this rank, and der andere means the other one. niederer is the comparative in a predicative position, and als introduces the thing used for comparison.
Er hatte die niedersten Beweggründe.
He had the basest motives.
die Beweggründe means the motives, and hatte means had. die niedersten Beweggründe is an accusative object after hatte; the attributive superlative is niederst- with the ending -en, not the bare form am niedersten.