nichts Entscheidendes

English translation: nothing decisive

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:nichts Entscheidendes
English translation:nothing decisive
Entered by: Erik Macki

23:32 Apr 26, 2005
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics
German term or phrase: nichts Entscheidendes
nichts Entscheidendes

Aus der Ferne betrachtet ist die Lage wesentlich deutlicher. Außerhalb Berlins weiß man, dass die Deutschen den Alliierten nichts Entscheidendes mehr entgegensetzen können. Das bemerkt auch der Schriftsteller Erich Kästner, der sich am 26. April 1945 im österreichischen Mayrhofen aufhält. In sein Tagebuch notiert er:

How to explain "nichts Entscheidendes" grammatically?
I posted this question on the German to Chinese pair yesterday, but have not got any answers yet. Is it very difficult to explain? :-)

TIA!!!
Jianming Sun
Local time: 00:37
nothing decisive
Explanation:
A grammatical explanation in English (sorry I can't write in Chinese either):

Basically whenever an adjective follows indefinite pronouns like etwas or nichts, that adjective is taken as a noun so it is capitalized. Adjectives in German often function as nouns, and are then capitalized (ein Beschaeftigter, den Angestellen, des Auszubildenden, etc.).

However, it is still in form an adjective and thus has to take an adjective ending. Thus, it bears the strong neuter-gender ending appropriate for the case:

Ich sehe hier nichts Wichtiges. (accusative)
Finanziell fehlt es an nichts Wichtigem. (dative)
etc.

One exception to the capitalization rule is "anderes": nichts anderes, etwas anderes. This can be (barely) justified on semantic grounds, but you can read more in Duden about it.

If you break out your Old High German or Middle High German grammar book from college (everyone has one of those, right?), you'll see that *originally* the -es was a genitive ending (nichts Wichtiges cf. French rien *de* bon). Over time this genitive was reanalyzed (misanalyzed) in Modern German as a neuter adjective, whence the modern structure.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs 28 mins (2005-04-27 12:01:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Nichts always means \"nothing.\" It would never mean \"no one\" or \"nobody.\" The translation into English of this structure is always the same: nothing + adjective:

nichts Wichtiges = nothing important
nichts Wichtigem = nothing important

Finanziell fehlt es an nichts Wichtigem = Financially, nothing important is missing.

Ich sehe darin nichts Gutes. = I see nothing good in it.

nichts Entscheidendes = nothing decisive (where entscheidend = decisive)

Note that if the word \"not\" appears in the English, then obviously \"nothing\" would become \"anything,\" as it usually does:

Ich kann nicht mit euch ohne nichts Schoeneres zu tragen.
I can*not* come with you without *anything* nicer to wear.

Translating this structure this way will always be correct. Karin\'s translation is also defensible in this case, but she has used slightly different syntax for stylistic reasons. Even so, you can see how Karin\'s solution \"nothing of importance\" is obviously synonymous with \"nothing important\" and \"nothing decisive.\" If you were learning this structure in a German class in school, however, you would be taught only the \"nothing + adjective\" meaning, and that will always be correct.

A close translation of your phrase:

When considered from a distance, the situation is much clearer. Outside of Berlin it is known that the Germans can*not* resist the Allies with *anything more decisive*. This was noted also by the author Erich Kaestner, who was in Mayrhofen in Austria on April 26, 1945. He notes in his diary:

Note that \"entgegensetzen\" is taking two objects here. The direct object, or accusative object, is \"nichts Entscheidendes\" and the indirect object, or adtive object, is \"den Alliierten.\" This means \"to resist the Allies with nothing decisive.\"
Selected response from:

Erik Macki
Local time: 09:37
Grading comment
Again I am in in a dilemma for grading. Actually I do not have the qualification for grading. All of you are my teachers. But I really like Erik's detailed grammatical explanation. I am sorry I cannot split the points between you. Thank you Karin for swift and good answer! Thank you Elimar for good explanation in German. I hope I will not offend anybody. :-) Again thank you all!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6nothing of importance
Anne-Carine Zimmer
5 +3nothing decisive
Erik Macki
5could no longer put up/offer any significant resistance
mckinnc
4grammatische Erklärung siehe unten
Elimar Orlopp
4nothing essential
Ellen Zittinger
1nothing decisive
Merry Foxworth


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
nothing of importance


Explanation:
nothing that would make a difference/change the outcome/nothing that would matter

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 mins (2005-04-26 23:35:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

nichts, was einen entscheidenden Beitrag leisten würde/die Entscheidung ändern könnte

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2005-04-26 23:38:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

analogy:
nichts Großes = \"nichts, was groß ist\"
nichts Entscheidendes = \"nichts, was entscheidend sein könnte\"

Anne-Carine Zimmer
United States
Works in field
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  silfilla: nothing that would change the outcome of the war
1 min

agree  Dr.G.MD (X)
2 mins

agree  Elimar Orlopp: nothing that would make a difference
19 mins

agree  Christine Lam
59 mins

agree  Darin Fitzpatrick: nothing significant
3 hrs

agree  CMJ_Trans (X): nothing of any vital importance
7 hrs
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29 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
nothing decisive


Explanation:
???
a more literal rendering

Merry Foxworth
United States
Local time: 12:37
Native speaker of: English
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
grammatische Erklärung siehe unten


Explanation:
Sorry, but I am not able to write in Chinese, so German may be good enough?

Okay, du hast, was ich im ersten Anlauf übersehen habe, nach einer grammatischen Erklärung für "nichts Entscheidendes" gefragt.

Offensichtlich gehört "etwas" oder "nichts" Entscheidendes zu der Familie
- Entscheidung (Substantiv)
- entscheiden (Verb)
- entscheidend (Adjektiv. z.B. die entscheidende Wende)

Etwas Entscheidendes ist also ein substantiviertes Adjektiv und behält somit den Sinn bei, dass es entscheidend ist, es ist somit etwas "Entscheidendes".
Interessant hier die etymologische Deutung des Wortes selbst. Ent-scheiden = Aus der Scheide ziehen. Was heißt, dass du zum Schwert greifst, Krieg führst. Insofern ist das Wort im Zusammenhang mit dem Kriegsgeschehen um Berlin durchaus SEHR zutreffend gewählt.
Ich hoffe, dass ich hilfreich sein konnte mit der grammatischen Erklärung?


Elimar Orlopp
Germany
Local time: 17:37
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
nothing essential


Explanation:
nothing significant, nothing relevant, nothing imperative

Ellen Zittinger
Local time: 09:37
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
could no longer put up/offer any significant resistance


Explanation:
*

mckinnc
Local time: 17:37
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
nothing decisive


Explanation:
A grammatical explanation in English (sorry I can't write in Chinese either):

Basically whenever an adjective follows indefinite pronouns like etwas or nichts, that adjective is taken as a noun so it is capitalized. Adjectives in German often function as nouns, and are then capitalized (ein Beschaeftigter, den Angestellen, des Auszubildenden, etc.).

However, it is still in form an adjective and thus has to take an adjective ending. Thus, it bears the strong neuter-gender ending appropriate for the case:

Ich sehe hier nichts Wichtiges. (accusative)
Finanziell fehlt es an nichts Wichtigem. (dative)
etc.

One exception to the capitalization rule is "anderes": nichts anderes, etwas anderes. This can be (barely) justified on semantic grounds, but you can read more in Duden about it.

If you break out your Old High German or Middle High German grammar book from college (everyone has one of those, right?), you'll see that *originally* the -es was a genitive ending (nichts Wichtiges cf. French rien *de* bon). Over time this genitive was reanalyzed (misanalyzed) in Modern German as a neuter adjective, whence the modern structure.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs 28 mins (2005-04-27 12:01:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Nichts always means \"nothing.\" It would never mean \"no one\" or \"nobody.\" The translation into English of this structure is always the same: nothing + adjective:

nichts Wichtiges = nothing important
nichts Wichtigem = nothing important

Finanziell fehlt es an nichts Wichtigem = Financially, nothing important is missing.

Ich sehe darin nichts Gutes. = I see nothing good in it.

nichts Entscheidendes = nothing decisive (where entscheidend = decisive)

Note that if the word \"not\" appears in the English, then obviously \"nothing\" would become \"anything,\" as it usually does:

Ich kann nicht mit euch ohne nichts Schoeneres zu tragen.
I can*not* come with you without *anything* nicer to wear.

Translating this structure this way will always be correct. Karin\'s translation is also defensible in this case, but she has used slightly different syntax for stylistic reasons. Even so, you can see how Karin\'s solution \"nothing of importance\" is obviously synonymous with \"nothing important\" and \"nothing decisive.\" If you were learning this structure in a German class in school, however, you would be taught only the \"nothing + adjective\" meaning, and that will always be correct.

A close translation of your phrase:

When considered from a distance, the situation is much clearer. Outside of Berlin it is known that the Germans can*not* resist the Allies with *anything more decisive*. This was noted also by the author Erich Kaestner, who was in Mayrhofen in Austria on April 26, 1945. He notes in his diary:

Note that \"entgegensetzen\" is taking two objects here. The direct object, or accusative object, is \"nichts Entscheidendes\" and the indirect object, or adtive object, is \"den Alliierten.\" This means \"to resist the Allies with nothing decisive.\"

Erik Macki
Local time: 09:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Again I am in in a dilemma for grading. Actually I do not have the qualification for grading. All of you are my teachers. But I really like Erik's detailed grammatical explanation. I am sorry I cannot split the points between you. Thank you Karin for swift and good answer! Thank you Elimar for good explanation in German. I hope I will not offend anybody. :-) Again thank you all!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Johanna Timm, PhD: !!!
10 mins

agree  Sonia Soros
9 hrs

agree  Elimar Orlopp: very cool, learned a lot.
1 day 20 hrs
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