Breakdown of Dieser Angeber übertreibt immer, als ob er ein Genie wäre.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
er
he
immer
always
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
der Angeber
the show-off
übertreiben
to exaggerate
als ob
as if
das Genie
the genius
Questions & Answers about Dieser Angeber übertreibt immer, als ob er ein Genie wäre.
Why do we use wäre instead of ist here?
Because this is an unreal comparison. The conjunction als ob (as if) sets up a hypothetical situation: he acts like a genius, but he actually isn't one. To show this is contrary to reality, we use the Konjunktiv II form wäre (would be / were) rather than the normal present tense ist.
Why is wäre pushed to the very end of the sentence?
The phrase als ob acts as a subordinating conjunction. In German, subordinating conjunctions always kick the conjugated verb (in this case, wäre) to the very end of their clause.
Can I drop the ob and just use als?
Yes, but it changes the word order! If you just use als (as if), the conjugated verb immediately follows it. The sentence would become: Dieser Angeber übertreibt immer, als wäre er ein Genie. Both versions are very common.
What verb does the noun Angeber come from?
It comes from the separable verb angeben, which means to show off or to brag. By taking the verb stem and adding -er, you get the noun for the person doing the action: der Angeber (the show-off).
How do you pronounce Genie, and what gender is it?
Genie is a neuter noun (das Genie), which is why it uses ein here. Because it was borrowed from French, it is pronounced like zhe-NEE (with a soft zh sound like in the English word measure), not like a magical genie in a lamp!
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