Breakdown of Solange wir miteinander reden, klappt es.
es
it
wir
we
reden
to talk
miteinander
with each other
Questions & Answers about Solange wir miteinander reden, klappt es.
How does the word solange affect the word order in the first half of the sentence?
Solange is a subordinating conjunction. This means it kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of its clause. That is why reden comes at the end of the phrase Solange wir miteinander reden.
Why does the second part say klappt es instead of es klappt?
In German, the verb in a main clause must be in the second position. Because the entire first clause (Solange wir miteinander reden) acts as the first position, the main clause must start immediately with its verb, klappt. A helpful trick to remember this pattern when starting a sentence with a subordinating conjunction is the 'verb, comma, verb' rule (reden, klappt).
I thought the German word for 'to work' was arbeiten. Why is klappt used here?
German has different words for 'to work' depending on the context. You use arbeiten when a person is doing a job or task. You use klappen when you mean 'to work out', 'to go smoothly', or 'to be successful' regarding a plan or a situation. If you are talking about a machine working, you would use funktionieren.
Could I just say mit uns instead of miteinander?