Breakdown of Der Kollege ist krank. Deshalb sagt er den Termin ab.
sein
to be
er
he
der Termin
the appointment
der Kollege
the colleague
krank
sick
deshalb
therefore / that is why
absagen
to cancel
Questions & Answers about Der Kollege ist krank. Deshalb sagt er den Termin ab.
Why does the second sentence start with Deshalb sagt er instead of Deshalb er sagt?
Deshalb (therefore) is an adverb that takes up Position 1 in the sentence. Because German main clauses require the conjugated verb to be exactly in Position 2, the verb sagt must come right after deshalb. This pushes the subject er (he) into Position 3.
Can I use darum or deswegen instead of deshalb here?
Yes! Deshalb, darum, and deswegen all mean "therefore" or "that's why," and they are completely interchangeable. Just remember that no matter which one you choose, it takes Position 1, so the verb must still come right after it.
Why is the word ab sitting all alone at the end of the sentence?
That ab belongs to the separable verb absagen (to cancel). When you use a separable verb in a standard present-tense sentence, the main conjugated part (sagt) stays in Position 2, and the prefix (ab) gets kicked to the very end of the clause.
Why do we say den Termin instead of der Termin?
Termin (appointment) is a masculine noun (der Termin). Because it is the direct object of the sentence (it is the thing being cancelled), it takes the accusative case. For masculine nouns, der changes to den in the accusative.
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