Breakdown of Wir bringen Blumen mit. Der Gastgeber liebt nämlich Blumen.
die Blume
the flower
wir
we
lieben
to love
mitbringen
to bring along
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
der Gastgeber
the host
nämlich
you see
Questions & Answers about Wir bringen Blumen mit. Der Gastgeber liebt nämlich Blumen.
What does "nämlich" add to the second sentence?
It acts as an explanatory particle. It tells the listener that this sentence is the reason for the previous one. In English, we often translate this feeling by adding "you see" at the end of the sentence, or by using "because".
Why is "nämlich" placed after the verb instead of at the beginning?
Unlike the English word "namely", the German explanatory nämlich cannot sit at the start of the sentence. It typically goes right after the conjugated verb (in this case, after liebt).
Could I just use "weil" (because) to say this?
Absolutely. You could combine the sentences: Wir bringen Blumen mit, weil der Gastgeber Blumen liebt. Using two separate sentences with nämlich is just a very natural, everyday way for German speakers to explain something without building a subordinate clause.
Why is "mit" at the very end of the first sentence?
This comes from the separable verb mitbringen (to bring along). In a normal main clause, the core verb (bringen) takes the second position, and the separable prefix (mit) gets pushed to the very end.
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