Breakdown of Der Athlet ist so erschöpft, dass er nicht mehr stehen kann.
sein
to be
er
he
können
can / to be able to
stehen
to stand
so
so, such (intensifier)
nicht mehr
no longer, not any more
dass
that
der Athlet
the athlete
erschöpft
exhausted
Questions & Answers about Der Athlet ist so erschöpft, dass er nicht mehr stehen kann.
Why are so and dass separated in this sentence instead of using sodass as one word?
When you want to emphasize the extreme degree of an adjective or adverb, you put so directly in front of it in the main clause, and start the result clause with dass. Here, so emphasizes erschöpft (exhausted). If you were just stating a general result without emphasizing a specific adjective, you would use the single word sodass.
Why does kann come after stehen at the very end of the sentence?
The word dass introduces a subordinate clause, which always kicks the conjugated verb to the very end. Because this clause uses a modal verb (kann) and an infinitive (stehen), the conjugated modal verb goes to the absolute end, right behind the infinitive.
Why is the phrase ordered as nicht mehr stehen?
The fixed phrase nicht mehr translates to 'not anymore' or 'no longer', and these two words are kept together. In German, this negating phrase is usually placed directly before the infinitive verb (here, stehen) that it applies to.
Is Athlet a standard regular masculine noun?
It is masculine, but it belongs to the 'n-declension' (weak nouns) group. It has no special ending here because it is the subject of the sentence (nominative case). However, if it were the direct or indirect object (accusative or dative case), it would require an -en ending, such as Ich sehe den Athleten.
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