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The German language allows for the formation of long German words by combining smaller words to create new meanings. This process, called Komposita, follows a specific structure where the last word in the compound determines the overall meaning.

For example, in "Krankenhausverwaltung" (hospital administration):

• Kranken = sick
• Haus = house
• Verwaltung = administration

The key noun, Verwaltung, defines the meaning, while the other words modify it. This rule applies to almost all compound words in German, including technical and legal terms.

A fun example of this in action is "Schornsteinfegermeisterprüfung" (chimney sweep master's exam), which is constructed step by step:

• Schornstein = chimney
• Feger = sweeper
• Meister = master
• Prüfung = exam

Even though this results in impressively long German words, native speakers easily understand them by recognizing the familiar root words.