Breakdown of Nachdem wir die Dateien gespeichert hatten, verließen wir das Büro.
haben
to have
wir
we
das Büro
the office
nachdem
after
verlassen
to leave
die Datei
the file
speichern
to save (data, files)
Questions & Answers about Nachdem wir die Dateien gespeichert hatten, verließen wir das Büro.
Why do we use gespeichert hatten (Past Perfect) in the first part and verließen (Simple Past) in the second?
The word nachdem (after) requires a strict sequence of tenses to show which event happened first. Because leaving the office happened in the past (verließen), the action that happened before that must be pushed one step further back into the Past Perfect (hatten ... gespeichert).
Why does the second part start with the verb verließen instead of the subject wir?
The entire Nachdem clause counts as the first block of information in the sentence. Because German requires the main verb to be in the second position, the verb verließen must come immediately after the comma, followed by the subject wir.
Why is the helping verb hatten at the very end of the first part?
Nachdem is a subordinating conjunction, which means it sends the conjugated verb to the end of its clause. In the Past Perfect tense, the conjugated verb is the helping verb (hatten), so it gets pushed past the main action word (gespeichert).
What is the infinitive of verließen?
The infinitive is verlassen (to leave). It is an irregular verb, and verließen is the Simple Past (Präteritum) form for 'we'. You will often see the Simple Past used in written German or when narrating a sequence of events.
Is Dateien the same as Daten?
No, though they are related. Die Datei (plural: die Dateien) refers to a specific computer file, like a document or an image. Daten translates to 'data' or 'information'. Since they saved actual computer files here, Dateien is the correct word.
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