Vocabulary
der
Schachtelsatz
/ˈʃaxtl̩ˌzats/· noun· Pl. die Schachtelsätze
convoluted sentence (with clauses nested inside one another)
The sentence that opens one clause inside another inside another, so that the reader waits for three verbs at once. Official letters and legal texts are full of them.
CEFR C1Frequency ●●●●●
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
Forms
- Singular
- der Schachtelsatz
- Plural
- die Schachtelsätze
- Genitiv
- des Schachtelsatzes
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
Schachtelsatz
nested, convoluted sentence
Der Brief besteht aus einem einzigen Schachtelsatz.
The letter consists of a single convoluted sentence.
Word family
Schachtelsatzdie Schachtelboxverschachteltconvoluted, nestedverschachtelnto nest, to interlock
Common combinations
- einen Schachtelsatz auflösento untangle a convoluted sentence
- ein Schachtelsatz über zehn Zeilena convoluted sentence running over ten lines
- in Schachtelsätzen schreibento write in convoluted sentences
Real examples
- Diesen Schachtelsatz versteht niemand beim ersten Lesen.Nobody understands this convoluted sentence on first reading.
- Aus einem Schachtelsatz macht sie drei klare Sätze.She turns one convoluted sentence into three clear ones.
- Juristen lieben Schachtelsätze, Leser weniger.Lawyers love convoluted sentences; readers less so.
