Breakdown of Du musst das Kostüm anziehen, bevor du spielst.
du
you (informal singular)
spielen
to play
müssen
to have to, must
anziehen
to put on
bevor
before
das Kostüm
the costume
Questions & Answers about Du musst das Kostüm anziehen, bevor du spielst.
Why is the verb spielst at the very end of the sentence?
The word bevor (before) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it creates a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (spielst) to move to the very end of that clause.
anziehen is a separable verb. Why isn't it separated here?
Because of the modal verb musst (must). Modal verbs always push the second verb to the end of the clause in its full, unseparated infinitive form (anziehen). If there were no modal verb, you would separate it: Du ziehst das Kostüm an.
Is the comma before bevor required?
Yes! In German, you must always use a comma to separate the main clause (Du musst das Kostüm anziehen) from a subordinate clause that starts with words like bevor or weil.
Doesn't spielen usually mean 'to play'? Why is it translated as 'act' here?
In German, spielen is the standard verb used for acting in a play or movie, similar to how an actor 'plays' a role in English. Because the sentence mentions a costume (das Kostüm), the context tells us it means acting in this case.
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