Breakdown of Der Mann drängelt, ohne dass er das schlechte Verhalten bemerkt.
der Mann
the man
er
he
schlecht
bad
bemerken
to notice
ohne dass
without (+ subordinate clause)
das Verhalten
the behavior
drängeln
to push
Questions & Answers about Der Mann drängelt, ohne dass er das schlechte Verhalten bemerkt.
Why does German use ohne dass er ... bemerkt instead of a direct translation of "without noticing"?
English uses "without" plus an -ing verb, but German doesn't have this grammatical structure. Instead, you use ohne dass (without that) to start a subordinate clause with a subject (er) and a conjugated verb at the end (bemerkt). Since the subject is the same in both parts of this sentence, you could also use an infinitive phrase here: ohne das schlechte Verhalten zu bemerken.
Why is the verb bemerkt at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase ohne dass is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which always forces its conjugated verb (bemerkt) all the way to the end of that clause.
Does drängeln mean "to push" in general? Could I use it for pushing a door open?
No, drängeln specifically means to shove people, jostle in a crowd, cut in line, or tailgate in traffic. For pushing a physical object like a door or a button, you would use the verb drücken.
Why is it das schlechte Verhalten here?
It is the direct object of the verb bemerken (what doesn't he notice?), so it must be in the accusative case. Since Verhalten is a neuter noun, its accusative definite article remains das, and the adjective takes the standard -e ending.
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