Breakdown of Niemand weiß, wann das Interview stattfindet.
wann
when
wissen
to know (a fact)
niemand
no one
stattfinden
to take place
das Interview
the interview
Questions & Answers about Niemand weiß, wann das Interview stattfindet.
Why is stattfindet at the end of the sentence and written as one word?
This is an indirect question, which acts as a subordinate clause. In German, subordinate clauses send the conjugated verb to the very end. Normally, the separable verb stattfinden (to take place) splits in a sentence. But because the conjugated part (findet) is sent to the end, it bumps right back into its prefix (statt-) and they recombine into the single word stattfindet.
Why is the verb form weiß here?
The word niemand (nobody) is a third-person singular subject, just like er, sie, or es. The verb wissen (to know a fact) is irregular, so its third-person singular form changes its vowel and becomes weiß.
Why use wann here instead of wenn?
As an English speaker, it is easy to mix up the different words for 'when'. Wann is specifically used for questions about time, including indirect questions like this one that ask 'at what time?'. You would use wenn for conditions ('if') or repeated events ('whenever'), which does not fit this sentence.
Is the comma before wann strictly necessary?
Yes, it is mandatory. German punctuation rules dictate that you must always separate a main clause (Niemand weiß) from a subordinate clause (the indirect question starting with wann) with a comma.
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