Breakdown of Da die Ernährung wichtig ist, reduzieren wir den Konsum von Fleisch.
sein
to be
wir
we
wichtig
important
das Fleisch
the meat
Questions & Answers about Da die Ernährung wichtig ist, reduzieren wir den Konsum von Fleisch.
Why use da here instead of weil?
Both da and weil can mean because or since, and both send the conjugated verb to the end of their clause (ist). However, da is often used when the reason is already known to the listener or when the reason clause is placed at the very beginning of the sentence.
Why is the verb reduzieren right after the comma, before the subject wir?
In German, the verb in a main clause must be in the second position. Because the entire subordinate clause (Da die Ernährung wichtig ist) takes up the first position of the whole sentence, the verb reduzieren must immediately follow it to take the second position.
Could da mean there in this sentence?
Not here! While da is often an adverb meaning there or here, in this sentence it acts as a subordinating conjunction. You can easily tell because it introduces a new clause and forces the verb (ist) to the very end of that clause.
Why does it say von Fleisch instead of using the genitive case?
When dealing with uncountable nouns like Fleisch that do not have an article or an adjective in front of them, Germans usually prefer using von plus the dative case instead of the genitive. It sounds much more natural in everyday German.