Breakdown of Der unheimliche Gang war verriegelt.
sein
to be
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
unheimlich
eerie
verriegeln
to bolt
der Gang
the corridor
Questions & Answers about Der unheimliche Gang war verriegelt.
Why use war verriegelt instead of wurde verriegelt?
This is the stative passive (Zustandspassiv) in the simple past. We use war plus the past participle (verriegelt) to describe a state that already existed in the past. If you used wurde verriegelt, it would be the process passive (Vorgangspassiv), meaning someone was actively locking the corridor at that exact moment in the story.
Why does the adjective unheimliche end in just -e instead of -er?
Gang is a masculine noun (der Gang). Because we already have the definite article der showing us the gender and the case (nominative), the adjective only needs the weak ending -e. If there were no article, it would take the strong ending and become unheimlicher Gang.
Is there a difference between verriegelt and abgeschlossen?
Yes! abgeschlossen generally means "locked" (usually with a key, relating to das Schloss meaning lock). verriegelt comes from der Riegel (the bolt or sliding latch), so it specifically means "bolted" or securely barred shut. It makes the hallway sound much harder to get into!
I've seen Gang used for "gears" in a car and "courses" in a meal. What does it mean here?
der Gang is a very versatile noun derived from the verb gehen (to go or walk). When talking about buildings or architecture, it translates to "corridor", "hallway", or "passageway" — literally a place where people walk.
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