Breakdown of Während des Vorstellungsgesprächs war der Mann zu müde, um zu antworten.
sein
to be
der Mann
the man
müde
tired
zu
too (e.g., too big)
antworten
to answer
um ... zu
in order to
während
during
das Vorstellungsgespräch
the job interview
Questions & Answers about Während des Vorstellungsgesprächs war der Mann zu müde, um zu antworten.
How does the "zu ... um ... zu" structure work in this sentence?
It translates to the English "too... to..." structure. The first part uses zu + an adjective (zu müde / too tired). Then, after a mandatory comma, we use um zu + an infinitive verb (antworten / to answer) to show what action was prevented by him being too tired.
Why is it des Vorstellungsgesprächs instead of das Vorstellungsgespräch?
The preposition während (during) requires the genitive case. Since the core noun is neuter (das Gespräch), the article changes to des, and we add an -s to the end of the noun.
How is the long word Vorstellungsgesprächs built?
It is a compound noun made of die Vorstellung (the introduction or presentation) and das Gespräch (the conversation), joined by a linking -s-. Together, they form the standard German term for a job interview.
Why does war come before the subject der Mann?
In standard German statements, the conjugated verb must be in the second position. Because the entire time phrase Während des Vorstellungsgesprächs takes up the first position, the verb war stays in position two, pushing the subject der Mann right after it into position three.
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