Breakdown of Wir erleichtern das Leben, indem wir Roboter bauen.
wir
we
bauen
to build
das Leben
the life
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
indem
by doing
der Roboter
the robot
erleichtern
to make easier
Questions & Answers about Wir erleichtern das Leben, indem wir Roboter bauen.
Why does the English translation use 'by building', but the German sentence uses indem and no '-ing' word?
English uses 'by + -ing' to explain the method of how something is done. German doesn't have an exact equivalent to the '-ing' verb form. Instead, it uses the conjunction indem (which means 'by doing' or 'in that') followed by a full clause. So instead of 'by building,' you literally say 'by which we build' (indem wir ... bauen).
Why is the verb bauen at the very end of the sentence?
Because indem is a subordinating conjunction. In the main clause, the verb is in its normal second position (Wir erleichtern...). But after the comma, indem starts a subordinate clause, which forces its conjugated verb (bauen) to the very end of the sentence.
How is the verb erleichtern (to make easier) related to the word leicht?
The core of the word is the adjective leicht, meaning 'easy' or 'light'. Adding the prefix er- (which often shows a change of state) and the verb ending -en turns it into an action: erleichtern literally means 'to make easier' or 'to lighten'.
Could I use the preposition durch (through/by) instead of indem?
You can, but the grammar works differently. Indem is a conjunction that connects to a clause with a subject and a verb (indem wir Roboter bauen). Durch is a preposition, so it must be followed by a noun. You would have to use a noun phrase, like durch den Bau von Robotern (through the construction of robots). For describing actions, indem is usually much more natural!
How would I add meiner Meinung nach (in my opinion) to the beginning of this sentence?
You would say: Meiner Meinung nach erleichtern wir das Leben... This is because meiner Meinung nach counts as the first block of information in the sentence. To satisfy the strict V2 rule (verb in position 2), the verb erleichtern must come immediately after it, pushing the subject wir to the third position.
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