Breakdown of Hast du diese Geschäftsreise wirklich machen müssen, obwohl du krank bist?
sein
to be
du
you (informal singular)
machen
to make, to do
haben
to have
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
müssen
to have to, must
wirklich
really
krank
sick
obwohl
although
die Geschäftsreise
the business trip
Questions & Answers about Hast du diese Geschäftsreise wirklich machen müssen, obwohl du krank bist?
Why is it machen müssen at the end instead of a past participle like gemusst?
This is the double infinitive rule for the Perfekt tense. Normally, you use a past participle. But when a modal verb (like müssen) is used with another verb (like machen), the modal verb stays in its infinitive form. So, you end up with two infinitives stacked together at the end.
How do I know which order to put the two infinitives in?
The main action verb (machen) comes first, and the modal verb (müssen) comes last. The modal verb is the one that would normally be conjugated, so it takes the absolute final spot in this grammatical structure.
The English translation says 'go on this business trip,' but the German uses machen. Is that normal?
Yes! While in English you 'go on' or 'take' a trip, German typically uses machen (to do/make) for trips and vacations. Eine Reise machen is the standard phrasing.
Why does bist go at the very end of the sentence?
The word obwohl (even though/although) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and kicks its conjugated verb (bist) to the very end of that clause.
Is there another way to say the first part of this sentence in the past tense?
Yes, and it is actually more common! Spoken German usually prefers the Präteritum (simple past) for modal verbs because it avoids the clunky double infinitive. Most native speakers would prefer to say: Musstest du diese Geschäftsreise wirklich machen...
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