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In the sentence

Jede Verwertung in anderen als den gesetzlich zugelassenen Fällen...

why is it gesetzlich and not gesetzlichen?

Trevor Mwangi
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1 Answers1

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Short anwer
Here, gesetzlich is not declined, because it is used as an adverb, not as an adjective.

Adjective

than the legal allowed cases → als den gesetzlichen zugelassenen Fällen

Here, the cases are allowed and legal. Therefore, both zugelassenen (allowed) and gesetzlichen (legal) are adjectives, which must be appropriately declined.

Adverb

than the legally allowed cases → als den gesetzlich zugelassenen Fällen

Here, however, the the cases are legally allowed. Therefore, gesetzlich (legally) is an adverb that modifies the adjective zugelassenen (allowed). German adverbs are not declined.

Björn Friedrich
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    It should be noted that "gesetzlich" (-"lawful", "legal") shows up in a dictionary as an adjective. But most adjectives can be used as adverbs in German without change, unlike English which requires the "-ly" suffix. Context, and the fact that adverbs are not declined, allow you to figure out what it refers to. Here it's not the cases that are legal, but the way they're allowed that's legal. In English, "legally allowed cases" rather than "legal, allowed cases". – RDBury Jan 16 '24 at 12:58
  • @RDBury, thank you for your comment. I rewrote my answer and hope that it is clearer now. – Björn Friedrich Jan 16 '24 at 14:59