Technik, Wissenschaft und Erklären
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 9 follows Tobias from budget reports into the technical side of his research institute's work. A colleague from the communications office asks him to help turn a dense internal project overview — describing a new data-monitoring system the institute has developed — into a clear explanation that a general, educated audience can follow. Explaining a technical or scientific process in German calls for a specific set of tools: relative clauses that add precise detail to a noun, passive and process-oriented sentences that foreground what happens rather than who does it, specialized compounds that name components and systems precisely, and clauses of cause, effect, and purpose that connect steps logically. This chapter develops all of these productively for the first time in combination, while continuing the genitive, nominalization, and impersonal man constructions from Chapters 7 and 8. Learners read a technical overview, practice defining terms clearly, and write and present an explanation of a process for a non-specialist but educated audience.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Read a popular-science or technical overview and identify the steps of a process it describes.
- Use relative clauses to add precise defining detail to technical nouns.
- Use passive and process-oriented sentence patterns to describe how something works.
- Recognize and use specialized compounds appropriately, without inventing pseudo-technical terms.
- Connect steps in an explanation using cause, effect, and purpose clauses.
- Write and present a clear explanation of a technical or scientific process for an educated non-specialist audience.
Opening Scenario
Herr Albrecht from the institute's communications office has read a dense internal project overview describing a new system that automatically monitors and records environmental measurements for one of the institute's research projects. He asks Tobias, who worked on the project, to help him rewrite the overview so that a general audience — for example, readers of the institute's public newsletter — can understand what the system does and why it matters, without needing a background in engineering. Tobias reads through the technical description, works out how to define its key terms clearly, and drafts an explanation that walks a non-specialist through the process step by step.
- Review the vocabulary for technology, data, and process explanation.
- Study how relative clauses, passive/process sentences, and cause-effect-purpose connectors combine in the model dialogue and reading passage.
- Complete the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing tasks in order.
- Finish with the Practical Performance Task, which asks you to explain a technical or scientific process for an educated audience.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter's vocabulary supports reading and explaining a technical process: the system and its components, the data it produces, and the language used to define terms and describe steps.
System und Technik
- das System, die Systeme — system
- der Sensor, die Sensoren — sensor
- die Messung, die Messungen — measurement
- das Gerät, die Geräte — device, instrument
Daten und Auswertung
- die Daten (Plural) — data
- die Auswertung, die Auswertungen — analysis, evaluation
- die Genauigkeit, die Genauigkeiten — accuracy, precision
- die Unsicherheit, die Unsicherheiten — uncertainty
Prozess und Ablauf
- der Vorgang, die Vorgänge — process, procedure
- der Schritt, die Schritte — step
- speichern — to save, to store
- übertragen (überträgt, übertrug, hat übertragen) — to transmit
Erklären und Definieren
- die Definition, die Definitionen — definition
- der Begriff, die Begriffe — term, concept
- bezeichnen (+ Akkusativ) als (+ Akkusativ) — to designate/refer to something as
- dienen (+ Dativ) zu (+ Dativ) / dazu, ... zu + Infinitiv — to serve (a purpose)
All active nouns appear with article and plural; verbs are shown with their case or preposition frame where one applies.
Pronunciation Focus
Technical compounds such as der Datensensor or die Messgenauigkeit follow the same first-element stress pattern as the organizational compounds in Chapter 8: DAtensensor, MESSgenauigkeit. When explaining a process aloud, place clear stress on the first element of each new technical term the first time you use it, so a listener unfamiliar with the term can register it, and slightly reduce stress on repeated terms later in the explanation.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter develops three systems together for the first time: relative clauses used to define technical nouns precisely, passive and process-oriented sentences that describe what happens to something rather than who acts, and clauses of cause, effect, and purpose that connect the steps of a process logically. Specialized compounds, nominalization, the genitive, and impersonal man, all active from earlier chapters, continue to develop in this new domain.
der Sensor, der die Temperatur misst
the sensor that measures the temperature
die Daten, die das System speichert
the data that the system stores
das Gerät, mit dem die Messungen durchgeführt werden
the device with which the measurements are carried out
Explanations of how something works often foreground the process rather than the person carrying it out: Die Daten werden alle zehn Minuten gespeichert ("The data are stored every ten minutes") keeps attention on the data and the system, not on an unnamed operator. Impersonal man, already active from Chapter 7, remains a natural alternative in more conversational explanation: Man speichert die Daten alle zehn Minuten. Both options are correct; the passive is more common in written technical prose, while man is more common in spoken explanation.
Connecting the steps of a process clearly requires a small set of subordinating and prepositional patterns: weil and da for cause, sodass for effect, and damit or an infinitive clause with um ... zu for purpose. Um Energie zu sparen, misst der Sensor nur einmal pro Minute ("To save energy, the sensor measures only once per minute") uses a purpose infinitive clause; Der Sensor misst nur einmal pro Minute, damit die Batterie länger hält expresses the same purpose with a full subordinate clause, which is necessary when the subject of the purpose clause differs from the subject of the main clause.
- Der Sensor, der im Feld installiert ist, überträgt die Messungen automatisch an das System. The sensor, which is installed in the field, transmits the measurements automatically to the system. relative clause (nominative) + specialized compound
- Die Daten werden zunächst gespeichert und anschließend automatisch ausgewertet, sodass keine manuelle Auswertung nötig ist. The data are first stored and then automatically analyzed, so that no manual analysis is necessary. passive + sodass (effect)
- Um die Genauigkeit der Messungen zu erhöhen, wird jeder Sensor einmal im Jahr überprüft. To increase the accuracy of the measurements, each sensor is checked once a year. um ... zu (purpose) + passive + genitive
Error: *das Gerät, den man benutzt, um die Messungen durchzuführen uses the accusative masculine den after a neuter antecedent, matching neither the antecedent's gender nor tracking the relative pronoun's own function correctly.
Correction: das Gerät, das man benutzt, um die Messungen durchzuführen — the relative pronoun agrees in gender and number with its antecedent (das Gerät is neuter), while its case depends on its own grammatical role inside the relative clause, here the accusative object of benutzt.
Model Dialogue
Setting: the communications office, one week before the newsletter deadline. Context: Tobias and Herr Albrecht discuss how to explain the new monitoring system to a general readership.
Guided Practice
Combine each pair of sentences into one sentence using a relative clause, then rewrite one sentence in the passive voice.
- Der Sensor misst die Temperatur. Der Sensor ist im Feld installiert. → Der Sensor, ______________________, misst die Temperatur.
- Das Gerät speichert die Daten. Man benutzt das Gerät jeden Tag. → Das Gerät, ______________________, speichert die Daten.
- Die Auswertung zeigt die Ergebnisse. Man braucht die Auswertung für den Bericht. → Die Auswertung, ______________________, zeigt die Ergebnisse.
- Rewrite one sentence above so that the action, not the person, is the grammatical subject (passive voice).
Model answers appear in the Answer Key at the end of the chapter.
Listening Practice
Ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud. Listen once for the overall process, then again for the reason given for each step.
Kurzerklärung — Listening Script
Das neue Messsystem funktioniert in drei Schritten. Zuerst misst der Sensor, der im Feld installiert ist, die Temperatur und die Feuchtigkeit. Er misst nur einmal pro Minute, um Energie zu sparen, denn er läuft mit Batterie. Anschließend werden die gesammelten Daten automatisch an das zentrale System übertragen und dort gespeichert. Schließlich wertet das System die Daten aus, sodass die Forscherinnen und Forscher die Ergebnisse direkt am Computer ansehen können, ohne die Messungen von Hand auswerten zu müssen.
Verständnisfragen
1. Was misst der Sensor, und wie oft misst er?
2. Warum misst der Sensor nur einmal pro Minute?
3. Identify the sentence that explains what happens after the data are transmitted, and summarize why manual analysis is not needed.
Speaking Practice
Aufgabe: Ein Verfahren erklären
Working with a partner or recording solo, role-play a short conversation in which one person explains the monitoring system's process to a colleague who is unfamiliar with it and asks clarifying questions.
Rolle: Tobias
- Explain what the sensor measures and how often.
- Explain what happens to the data after they are transmitted.
- Give one reason (cause or purpose) for a design choice in the system.
- Offer to send a written summary afterward.
Rolle: Kollege/Kollegin (fachfremd)
- Ask what a specific term means.
- Ask why one step in the process happens the way it does.
- Thank Tobias for the clear explanation.
Bewertungshinweise — Speaking Criteria
- The process is explained in a clear, logical step order.
- At least one relative clause is used to define a term.
- At least one passive or process sentence and one cause/effect/purpose clause are used correctly.
- Technical terms are defined rather than assumed, and no invented pseudo-technical compounds are used.
- Comprehensible, natural pronunciation and pacing, including compound stress.
Solo alternative: Record both roles yourself, pausing between turns, or record only the Tobias role as a short monologue explaining the process.
Reading Practice
Wie das neue Messsystem funktioniert
Unser Institut hat ein neues System entwickelt, das Umweltdaten automatisch sammelt und auswertet. Ein Sensor, der direkt im Feld installiert ist, misst regelmäßig die Temperatur und die Feuchtigkeit der Umgebung. Damit die Batterie möglichst lange hält, misst der Sensor nur einmal pro Minute statt ständig. Die gesammelten Daten werden anschließend automatisch an ein zentrales System übertragen, das sie speichert und auswertet. Man bezeichnet diesen letzten Schritt oft als "automatische Auswertung", weil kein Mensch die Daten mehr von Hand überprüfen muss. Die Genauigkeit der Messungen wird einmal im Jahr überprüft, um sicherzustellen, dass die Ergebnisse zuverlässig bleiben. Kleine Unsicherheiten in den Messungen sind normal und werden im Abschlussbericht immer offen genannt.
Verständnisfragen
1. Was misst der Sensor, und wo ist er installiert?
2. Warum wird die Genauigkeit der Messungen einmal im Jahr überprüft?
3. Identify the sentence about measurement uncertainty, and explain in your own words why the text mentions it.
Writing Workshop
Write a short explanation of a technical or scientific process for an educated but non-specialist audience, based on the Reading Practice passage or a process of your own choosing.
Kontext für die Schreibaufgabe
Schreiben Sie eine kurze Erklärung (ca. 100–140 Wörter) für den Institutsnewsletter. Beschreiben Sie ein technisches oder wissenschaftliches Verfahren in klaren Schritten und definieren Sie mindestens einen Fachbegriff mit einem Relativsatz. Verwenden Sie mindestens eine Passivkonstruktion oder eine man-Konstruktion sowie mindestens einen Ursache-, Folge- oder Zwecksatz.
- Open with a brief line stating what the process accomplishes.
- Describe the process in clear steps, defining at least one term with a relative clause.
- Use at least one passive or impersonal man sentence to describe what happens at a key step.
- Explain the reason or purpose behind at least one design choice, using a cause, effect, or purpose clause.
- Review your text against the checklist below.
Revision checklist:
- Is the purpose of the process stated clearly in the opening?
- Does the explanation include at least one correctly formed relative clause that defines a term?
- Does at least one sentence use the passive voice or impersonal man correctly?
- Does at least one sentence use a cause, effect, or purpose clause correctly?
- Does the explanation avoid inventing pseudo-technical compounds and stay appropriate for a non-specialist reader?
Culture and Communication
Good scientific and technical writing acknowledges uncertainty rather than overstating confidence: German popular-science texts commonly use phrases such as ungefähr ("approximately"), man geht davon aus, dass ... ("it is assumed that ..."), or explicit mentions of Unsicherheit ("uncertainty") when reporting measurements or findings. The system, figures, and process described in this chapter are constructed for language practice and are not drawn from a real published study; treat any real technical or scientific question as one to verify with current, qualified sources rather than a textbook example.
Technical and scientific German favors established, verifiable compounds and terms over newly invented ones. When unsure whether a compound such as Messgenauigkeit or a term like Sensor is used the way a native technical text would use it, verify it in a current dictionary or technical reference rather than assembling a plausible-sounding compound from familiar parts.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *die Daten, das gespeichert werden uses the neuter singular das after a plural antecedent (die Daten).
Correction: die Daten, die gespeichert werden — the relative pronoun must agree in gender and number with its antecedent; its case then depends on its function inside the relative clause.
Error: *Der Sensor misst einmal pro Minute, um die Batterie länger hält. mixes the infinitive construction um ... zu with a finite verb.
Correction: Der Sensor misst einmal pro Minute, damit die Batterie länger hält. — use damit with a full subordinate clause when the subject of the purpose clause (die Batterie) differs from the subject of the main clause (der Sensor); reserve um ... zu for purpose infinitives sharing the main clause's subject.
Error: Writing an explanation for the newsletter using unexplained specialist terminology copied directly from the internal technical report.
Correction: Define each technical term the first time it appears, using a relative clause or a brief appositive, so that a non-specialist reader can follow the explanation.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 9 moved learners from organizational reporting into the explanatory, process-oriented register of technical and scientific German. Relative clauses became productive as a tool for defining technical terms precisely within a sentence, while passive and process-oriented sentences, cause/effect/purpose clauses, and specialized compounds combined for the first time to describe how a system works step by step. The genitive, nominalization, and impersonal man, active since Chapters 7 and 8, continued to develop in this new domain. Tobias's task of turning a dense technical overview into a clear explanation for a general, educated audience, without inventing pseudo-technical terms or overstating certainty, connected listening, speaking, reading, and writing around one realistic workplace situation.
Chapter Review
Before moving to Chapter 10, confirm that you can:
Textanalyse
- identify the steps of a process described in a technical or popular-science text;
- recognize specialized compounds and relative clauses used to define terms; and
- distinguish a stated step from its stated cause or purpose.
Grammatik und Produktion
- form relative clauses that agree correctly with their antecedent and reflect their own function;
- produce passive, process-oriented, and impersonal man sentences describing a process; and
- write and present a clear explanation of a technical or scientific process for a non-specialist audience.
Practical Performance Task
Kapitel 9 — Praktische Aufgabe
Ein Verfahren erklären — Explaining a Technical or Scientific Process for an Educated Audience
Complete a short sequence of tasks that integrates reading, listening, speaking, and writing around one process-explanation situation.
1. Überblick lesen
Complete the Reading Practice comprehension questions, identifying the steps of the process and their reasons.
2. Erklärung hören
Complete the Listening Practice comprehension questions.
3. Verfahren besprechen
Complete the Speaking Practice role-play with a partner or solo recording.
4. Erklärung schreiben
Complete the Writing Workshop explanation and revise it using the checklist above.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Process identification | The learner correctly identifies the steps of the process and their stated causes or purposes |
| Relative clause accuracy | At least one relative clause is formed and used correctly to define a term |
| Passive/process and connector accuracy | Passive or impersonal man sentences and cause/effect/purpose clauses are used correctly |
| Appropriate scope and clarity | The explanation is clear for a non-specialist audience and avoids invented pseudo-technical compounds |
Answer Key
Guided Practice
- Der Sensor, der im Feld installiert ist, misst die Temperatur.
- Das Gerät, das man jeden Tag benutzt, speichert die Daten.
- Die Auswertung, die man für den Bericht braucht, zeigt die Ergebnisse.
- Open production. Example: Das Gerät, das jeden Tag benutzt wird, speichert die Daten.
Listening Practice — Comprehension Questions
- Der Sensor misst die Temperatur und die Feuchtigkeit; er misst einmal pro Minute.
- Der Sensor misst nur einmal pro Minute, um Energie zu sparen, weil er mit Batterie läuft.
- The sentence beginning Anschließend werden die gesammelten Daten automatisch an das zentrale System übertragen und dort gespeichert. is followed by the explanation that the system evaluates the data automatically, so researchers can view results directly without manual analysis.
Reading Practice — Comprehension Questions
- Der Sensor misst die Temperatur und die Feuchtigkeit der Umgebung; er ist direkt im Feld installiert.
- Die Genauigkeit wird einmal im Jahr überprüft, um sicherzustellen, dass die Ergebnisse zuverlässig bleiben.
- The sentence beginning Kleine Unsicherheiten in den Messungen sind normal und werden im Abschlussbericht immer offen genannt. shows that the text values transparency about uncertainty rather than overstating the reliability of the measurements.
Speaking and Writing Tasks
Open production. Evaluate using the performance task criteria table above, with particular attention to relative clause accuracy and passive/connector accuracy.
Practical Performance Task
Open production. Evaluate holistically using the performance task criteria table: process identification, relative clause accuracy, passive/process and connector accuracy, and appropriate scope and clarity.
Independent Study Tools
Für Selbstlerner
- Find a short popular-science explanation online (in a language you already read comfortably) and try identifying its process steps and any relative clauses used to define terms.
- Practice writing five relative clauses that define familiar objects or tools.
- Read your explanation aloud, paying attention to compound stress and to pausing clearly between steps.
Selbstüberprüfung
- Can I explain, in German, the difference between a cause clause with weil and a purpose clause with damit?
- Can I form a relative clause such as der Sensor, der die Temperatur misst correctly?
- Do I avoid inventing pseudo-technical compounds instead of verifying established terms?
Looking Ahead
Was Sie nach Kapitel 9 können — What you can do after Chapter 9
You can now read a short technical or popular-science overview and identify its process steps, use relative clauses to define technical terms precisely, produce passive and process-oriented sentences, connect steps with cause, effect, and purpose clauses, and write and present a clear explanation of a process for a non-specialist audience. These skills prepare you for the integrated review of Chapter 10.