Breakdown of Ich programmiere das System selber, obwohl es kompliziert ist.
ich
I
sein
to be
es
it
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das System
the system
obwohl
although
programmieren
to program
selber
oneself
kompliziert
complicated
Questions & Answers about Ich programmiere das System selber, obwohl es kompliziert ist.
What is the difference between selber and selbst in this sentence?
Both mean "myself" in this context. Selber is slightly more colloquial and very common in spoken German, while selbst is the standard, more formal version. You could easily say Ich programmiere das System selbst and it would mean exactly the same thing.
Could I put selber right after Ich instead of at the end of the clause?
Yes, but it changes the emphasis. Placing it at the end (das System selber) naturally emphasizes that you are doing the action rather than having someone else do it. If you say Ich selber programmiere das System, the heavy emphasis is directly on "I myself," which can sound a bit dramatic, like "I, of all people, am doing it."
Why is the verb ist at the very end of the sentence?
The word obwohl (although) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb—in this case, ist—to the very end of that clause.
How do we know to use es in the second clause?
Es refers back to das System. Because System is a neuter noun in German (das System), you must use the neuter pronoun es (it) to replace it. If you were talking about a feminine noun like die Software, you would use sie instead.
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