wodurch

Wodurch is a German relative adverb used to introduce a clause that specifies the means, instrument, or cause by which something happens. It is formed from the interrogative element wo (where/how) combined with the preposition durch (through, via), and it functions to connect a main clause with a subordinate clause that explains how an event is brought about.

Wodurch can appear in direct questions as well as in indirect questions or in relative clauses. In questions, it asks for the mechanism or cause behind an event. In subordinate clauses it refers back to a prior statement or situation, indicating by which means something occurred. Examples: Wer hat das Problem verursacht? Wodurch wird das Problem verursacht? Wir wissen nicht, wodurch der Fehler entstanden ist. Die Methode, wodurch der Prozess beschleunigt wird, ist noch nicht eindeutig belegt.

In terms of usage, wodurh is more formal and common in written German or in careful speech. In everyday language speakers might choose longer formulations such as durch welches Mittel, auf welche Weise or simply fragen wie, depending on context. It is distinct from related forms like womit or woraus, which focus more narrowly on the instrument (with what) or the source of a result, rather than the broader means or mechanism implied by durch.

Etymologically, wodurch reflects the pattern of German interrogatives that fuse wo (where/how) with a preposition to express means, method, or causation. As such, it is a standard tool in precise, analytical, or explanatory writing.