Pleasant Surprises with "dafür, dass"
Have you ever bought a cheap gadget and been shocked by how good it actually is? To express this specific kind of surprise or contrast in German, you use the phrase dafür, dass (considering that / for the fact that).
Because dafür, dass introduces a subordinate clause, it follows standard subordinate word order: the conjugated verb is pushed to the very end of the clause.
| The rechargeable battery is surprisingly good considering that the mobile phone was so cheap. | Der Akku ist überraschend gut dafür, dass das Handy so billig war. |
You can use this structure to review all sorts of budget-friendly finds, highlighting the contrast between your low expectations and the impressive reality.
| The build quality is great considering that it is a no-name product. | Die Verarbeitung ist toll dafür, dass es ein No-Name-Produkt ist. |
| The sound is solid considering that the speaker is so small. | Der Klang ist solide dafür, dass der Lautsprecher so klein ist. |
Starting the Sentence with "dafür, dass"
For extra emphasis, you can place the dafür, dass clause at the very beginning of the sentence.
When you do this, German's standard "verb-second" rule kicks in. The entire subordinate clause counts as the first block of information. Therefore, the main clause that follows must start immediately with its conjugated verb, making it the second idea in the sentence.
Notice how the verbs meet in the middle across the comma in these examples:
| Considering that the smartwatch costs little, many people praise it. | Dafür, dass die Smartwatch wenig kostet, loben sie viele Leute. |
| Considering that the camera is old, it can easily keep up. | Dafür, dass die Kamera alt ist, kann sie problemlos mithalten. |