Breakdown of Das Passwort muss komplex sein, sonst stiehlt der Hacker deine Daten.
sein
to be
dein
your (informal)
müssen
to have to, must
das Passwort
the password
stehlen
to steal
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
sonst
otherwise, or else
die Daten
the data
der Hacker
the hacker
komplex
complex
Questions & Answers about Das Passwort muss komplex sein, sonst stiehlt der Hacker deine Daten.
Why does the verb stiehlt come right after sonst?
The word sonst (otherwise) is an adverbial connector. This means it occupies the first position in its clause. In German main clauses, the conjugated verb must always take position 2. So, stiehlt goes right after sonst, which pushes the subject der Hacker into position 3.
Why is the verb spelled stiehlt and not stehlt?
The infinitive of the verb is stehlen (to steal). It is a strong verb, which means its stem vowel changes from 'e' to 'ie' in the 'du' and 'er/sie/es' forms. Because der Hacker is a third-person singular subject, the verb takes the form stiehlt.
Is the word Daten considered singular or plural in German?
Unlike in English where 'data' is often treated as a singular concept, die Daten is strictly plural in German. You can see this here from the plural accusative ending on the possessive pronoun deine.
Why is sein at the very end of the first half of the sentence?
The first clause uses the modal verb muss (must). In a regular main clause, the conjugated modal verb takes the second position, and the main verb (here, the infinitive sein) is kicked to the very end of the clause.
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