Breakdown of Nachdem sie den Anhang bearbeitet hatte, machte sie eine Pause.
sie
she
haben
to have
eine Pause machen
to take a break
nachdem
after
bearbeiten
to edit
der Anhang
the attachment
Questions & Answers about Nachdem sie den Anhang bearbeitet hatte, machte sie eine Pause.
Why do we use hatte in the first half but machte in the second half?
The word nachdem (after) requires strict tense sequencing to show that one event completely finished before the other started. Since the main event of taking a break (machte) is in the simple past tense, the earlier event of editing the attachment must be pushed one step further back into the past perfect tense (bearbeitet hatte).
Why does the second half say machte sie instead of sie machte?
In German, the verb of a main clause must always be in the second position. The entire nachdem clause counts as the first block of information. To keep the verb in position two, machte must come immediately after the comma, followed by the subject sie.
Could I say hat eine Pause gemacht instead of machte eine Pause?
Yes! In spoken German, people often use the conversational past (Perfekt) for the main clause: Nachdem sie den Anhang bearbeitet hatte, hat sie eine Pause gemacht. The rule for nachdem stays the same, so the earlier action still needs the past perfect (bearbeitet hatte).
Does bearbeiten specifically mean to edit a computer file?
It is very common for computer files and documents, but its literal meaning is simply to work on or process something. You can bearbeiten an email attachment, an application form, or even a piece of wood. It implies you are modifying or dealing with it.
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