Breakdown of Die Geschichten sind unglaublich, weil er immer übertreiben muss.
sein
to be
er
he
immer
always
müssen
to have to, must
die Geschichte
the story
weil
because (subordinating)
unglaublich
unbelievable
übertreiben
to exaggerate
Questions & Answers about Die Geschichten sind unglaublich, weil er immer übertreiben muss.
Why does muss come after übertreiben at the very end of the sentence?
Because weil (because) introduces a subordinate clause, which kicks the conjugated verb to the absolute end. Here, the modal verb müssen is conjugated for er (muss). Therefore, it goes all the way to the end, landing after the infinitive übertreiben.
Can you break down the word unglaublich?
It translates almost perfectly piece-by-piece to English! It is made of the prefix un- (un-), the stem glaub (from glauben, meaning "to believe"), and the suffix -lich (which often acts like "-able"). Literally: un-believe-able.
What is the literal meaning of übertreiben?
It comes from über (over) and treiben (to drive, push, or propel). If you "over-push" or drive a story too far, you exaggerate it.
This lesson focuses on als ob (as if) and Konjunktiv II. How would I rewrite this to say: "The stories are, as if he always had to exaggerate"?
You would write: Die Geschichten sind, als ob er immer übertreiben müsste. You use müsste, the Konjunktiv II form of müssen, to show the situation is unreal. Notice that als ob kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of the clause, exactly like weil does!
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