Trends & Statistics Vocabulary
Trends & Statistics Vocabulary
Talking about surveys, majorities, and general trends draws on quantifying nouns that combine with a genitive or von-phrase — and one very common preposition, laut, that many learners misuse.
Grammar Comparison
Grammar Comparison
Quantifying nouns combine with a genitive or von + dative phrase
die Mehrheit der Befragten / die Mehrheit von ihnen (the majority of those surveyed / the majority of them)
the majority of those surveyed / the majority of them
die Mehrheit, die Minderheit, and similar quantity nouns take a genitive noun phrase to say 'the majority of [X]' (die Mehrheit der Befragten), but switch to von + dative when the following word is a pronoun or when the genitive would sound awkward (die Mehrheit von ihnen, not die Mehrheit ihrer). This mirrors a broader pattern in German: genitive constructions are gradually being replaced by von + dative in exactly the contexts where the genitive feels heaviest, so both options are worth having ready.
laut is a preposition of attribution, most often used with the dative in practice
Laut einer Studie steigen die Zahlen. (According to a study, the numbers are rising.)
According to a study, the numbers are rising.
laut ('according to') technically permits either genitive or dative, but the dative is overwhelmingly what you'll hear and read in practice (laut einer Studie, laut den Experten). Note also that laut, like other single-word prepositional phrases placed in the front position, is followed directly by the verb: Laut einer Studie steigen die Zahlen, not Laut einer Studie die Zahlen steigen.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
| German | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| die Mehrheit | dee MAIR-hyt | the majority |
| die Minderheit | dee MIN-der-hyt | the minority |
| der Durchschnitt | dair DOORKH-shnit | the average |
| die Umfrage | dee OOM-frah-geh | the survey |
| repräsentativ | reh-preh-zen-tah-TEEF | representative |
| die Tendenz | dee ten-DENTS | the trend/tendency |
| im Durchschnitt | im DOORKH-shnit | on average |
| mehr als die Hälfte | mair ahls dee HELF-teh | more than half |
| ein Viertel / ein Drittel | eyn FEER-tel / eyn DRIT-el | a quarter / a third |
| laut einer Studie | lowt Y-ner SHTOO-dee-eh | according to a study |
| die Statistik zeigt, dass... | dee shtah-TIS-tik tsykt, dahs | the statistic shows that... |
| verdoppeln | fair-DOP-eln | to double |
| halbieren | hahl-BEE-ren | to halve |
| insgesamt | ins-geh-ZAHMT | in total/overall |