Breakdown of Es regnet. Da kann man nichts machen.
regnen
to rain
da kann man nichts machen
there's nothing to be done about it
Questions & Answers about Es regnet. Da kann man nichts machen.
Why does the German sentence use man when the English translation says 'There's nothing to be done'?
man is the German impersonal pronoun, similar to the general 'one' or 'you' in English. Literally, Da kann man nichts machen means 'There one can do nothing'. English often uses the passive voice ('nothing to be done') for general statements, but German strongly prefers using the active voice with man.
Why is the word order kann man instead of man kann?
This is because of the 'verb second' rule. The word Da takes up the first position in the second sentence. The verb kann must stay in the second position, so the subject man gets pushed to the third position immediately after the verb.
How does Da translate to 'about it' in this sentence?
While da usually means 'there' to point out a physical place, it is also frequently used to refer back to a situation or idea that was just mentioned. Here, it refers to the fact that it is raining, so it translates best as 'about that' or 'in that situation'.
Why is the word nichts used here instead of nicht?
nicht means 'not' and is used to negate a verb or an adjective. nichts with an s at the end is a pronoun that means 'nothing'. Because the sentence is saying there is nothing you can do, you must use nichts.
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