Breakdown of Fährt das Segelboot zu schnell, kentern wir vielleicht.
schnell
fast, quickly
wir
we
vielleicht
perhaps
fahren
to drive, to travel
zu
too (e.g., too big)
das Segelboot
the sailboat
kentern
to capsize
Questions & Answers about Fährt das Segelboot zu schnell, kentern wir vielleicht.
Why does this sentence start with the verb Fährt instead of a word like Wenn (if)?
This is a conditional clause without wenn. By putting the conjugated verb first (Fährt), it automatically implies an 'if' condition. It means the exact same thing as Wenn das Segelboot zu schnell fährt, but is a bit more compact. You can think of it like the English structure 'Should the boat travel too fast...'.
Why is the verb kentern (capsize) placed immediately after the comma?
This is due to the verb-second rule. The entire first conditional clause (Fährt das Segelboot zu schnell) acts as a single block of information in position one. To keep the main verb of the second clause in position two, kentern must come right after the comma, immediately followed by the subject wir.
Could I translate 'we might capsize' by putting vielleicht right after the comma, like '...vielleicht kentern wir'?
No, that would break the verb-second rule! If you put vielleicht right after the comma, it takes up position two, pushing the verb kentern to position three. The verb must always come immediately after the comma when a dependent clause comes first.
How do I know the gender of a compound word like Segelboot?
Compound nouns in German always take the gender of their very last part. The word is made up of Segel (sail) and Boot (boat). Since it is das Boot (neuter), the combined word is also neuter: das Segelboot.
Learn Fährt das Segelboot zu schnell, kentern wir vielleicht and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free