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[...] Und auch angesichts der Auswirkungen konventioneller Tierhaltung auf das Weltklima ist ein Umdenken sinvoll.

Why is the ending of konventionll "er" in the above? I am assuming the above it is in the genitive case, but I don't really understand how genitive without articles work.

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  • It's the same as with other cases - adjectives decline differently depending on whether there is an article or not.
    – RHa
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 16:12
  • germanforenglishspeakers.com/reference/… See under No Article, Plural, GEN. The ending is the same for all inflected adjectives.
    – RHa
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 16:14
  • My question is why is it genitive @Rha
    – Brian
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 16:21

2 Answers 2

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The genitive is equivalent to the preposition of in the English translation:

[...] the effects of conventional livestock breeding [...]

The English translation of konventioneller Tierhaltung contains no article, just like the German phrase.

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  • Why did we not use article here?
    – Brian
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 18:23
  • An abstract term like Tierhaltung does not require an article.
    – RHa
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 18:31
  • What is this rule called? First time I heard it @Rha
    – Brian
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 18:37
  • This isn't a rule but concepts are often used without an article. Tierhaltung is a concept. It's made from the phrase Tiere halten. It's the concept behind that action.
    – Janka
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 18:45
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If there is no determiner at all, the adjective gets the strong ending. That is the same ending as the definite article for that case, number, gender has, but for one exception: in genitive singular masculine and neuter, the strong adjective ending is -en, not -es.

But your example has the noun die Tierhaltung and thus:

der Auswirkungen der Tierhaltung

der Auswirkungen konventioneller Tierhaltung

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  • Same doubt as Rha's answer
    – Brian
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 18:23
  • You can also say der Auswirkungen der konventionellen Tierhaltung. The difference is that this is definite as it has a definite article while Tierhaltung in your example sentence hasn't and isn't.
    – Janka
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 18:26
  • @SBrian why would one use an article? You do the same in English, too: ...the consequences of conventional lifestock breeding... There is no definitive nor an indefinitive article there either when you are talking of a general concept.
    – planetmaker
    Commented Aug 16, 2023 at 20:35

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