Breakdown of Der Wissenschaftler fragt, ob die Wissenschaft das Risiko kennt.
fragen
to ask
kennen
to know (somebody/something)
der Wissenschaftler
the scientist
ob
whether / if
das Risiko
the risk
die Wissenschaft
the science
Questions & Answers about Der Wissenschaftler fragt, ob die Wissenschaft das Risiko kennt.
Why is kennt at the very end of the sentence?
Because the word ob (whether/if) introduces a subordinate clause. In German, these clauses always push the conjugated verb to the end. The main clause is Der Wissenschaftler fragt, and the rest is an indirect question where the verb kennt waits at the very end.
Can I use wenn instead of ob here since both mean 'if' in English?
No, you must use ob here. In English, we often use 'if' for indirect yes/no questions ('He asks if...'), but in German, ob is strictly for 'whether'. The word wenn is only used for conditions ('if it rains') or time ('whenever').
How do the words Wissenschaftler and Wissenschaft relate to each other?
The noun die Wissenschaft means 'science' (literally: knowledge-creation). Adding the ending -ler is a common way to turn an activity into a profession. So der Wissenschaftler means 'the scientist' (and a female scientist would be die Wissenschaftlerin).
Why does the sentence use kennt instead of weiß for 'knows'?
German has two verbs for 'to know'. The verb wissen is for knowing facts, usually followed by a question word or a whole new clause. The verb kennen is used for being familiar with a noun, like a person, place, or concept. Because 'the risk' (das Risiko) is a specific thing science is familiar with, we use kennen.
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