Welcome to the drama! When summarizing a convoluted storyline, you need to know how to state what a plot is about.
What is it about? ("es geht um")
To say "it is about" in German, use the fixed phrase es geht um.
This phrase relies on the impersonal pronoun es ("it") as its mandatory subject. Because of the preposition um, the noun or concept that follows must always be in the Accusative case.
| It is about a dramatic accident, after which he is in a coma. | Es geht um einen dramatischen Unfall, nach dem er im Koma liegt. |
| It is about secrets that the family wants to conceal. | Es geht um Geheimnisse, die die Familie verheimlichen will. |
The alternative ("es handelt sich um")
Another very common way to express "it is about" is es handelt sich um. This phrase means exactly the same thing, though it can sound slightly more formal or descriptive.
It follows the exact same rules: it uses the impersonal es as the subject and requires the accusative case after um. You just have to remember to include the reflexive pronoun sich.
| It is about a millionaire and the will. | Es handelt sich um einen Millionär und das Testament. |
| It is about a will and an evil betrayal. | Es handelt sich um ein Testament und einen bösen Verrat. |
Shifting the Subject
Remember that the conjugated verb must stay in the second position of a standard German sentence. If you start your sentence with a time or setting—like "In this soap opera" or "In the first episode"—the verb comes next, and the subject es gets pushed directly after the verb.
| In this soap opera, it is about twins whom the doctor conceals. | In dieser Seifenoper geht es um Zwillinge, die der Arzt verheimlicht. |
When you do this with es handelt sich um, the reflexive pronoun sich stays as close to the verb as possible, landing right after es.
| In this episode, it is about love and revenge. | In dieser Folge handelt es sich um Liebe und Rache. |
