Breakdown of Er zerstörte die Verhandlung, anstatt dass er an die Absicht des Herzens dachte.
er
he
denken an
to think about
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Herz
the heart
zerstören
to destroy
anstatt dass
instead of (+ subordinate clause)
die Absicht
the intention
die Verhandlung
the negotiation
Questions & Answers about Er zerstörte die Verhandlung, anstatt dass er an die Absicht des Herzens dachte.
Why is the genitive form des Herzens ending in -ens instead of just -s?
Das Herz (the heart) is a special mixed n-declension noun. Most neuter nouns just add an -s in the genitive, but Herz adds an -en in the dative and an -ens in the genitive (des Herzens). It is an exception you will see often!
Could we use an infinitive with zu here instead of anstatt dass?
Yes! Because the subject (er) is the same in both halves of the sentence, you could easily shorten this to an infinitive clause: anstatt an die Absicht des Herzens zu denken. Using anstatt dass with the conjugated verb at the end is just an alternative way to phrase it.
Why use the preposition an before die Absicht?
The verb denken (to think) pairs with the preposition an when you mean to think 'about' or 'of' something. This combination always requires the accusative case, which is why we use an die Absicht.
What tense are the verbs zerstörte and dachte?
They are in the Präteritum (simple past) tense, which is the standard past tense for storytelling and written German. Zerstörte is the regular past form of zerstören (to destroy), while dachte is the irregular past form of denken (to think).
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