Breakdown of Er leugnet die Schuld und will unschuldig sein.
sein
to be
er
he
und
and
wollen
to want
leugnen
to deny
die Schuld
the guilt
unschuldig
innocent
Questions & Answers about Er leugnet die Schuld und will unschuldig sein.
Wait, doesn't will mean "wants to"? Why is it translated as "claims to" here?
You are right that wollen usually expresses a desire. However, this sentence showcases the subjective use of wollen. In this structure, it means the subject is making a personal claim about themselves, often one that others might doubt. So, Er will unschuldig sein translates to "He claims to be innocent."
Could I use the regular verb for "to claim" (behaupten) instead of will?
Yes! You could completely rewrite it as ..., und behauptet, unschuldig zu sein. Using wollen is just a concise, advanced way to express this. It is very common in journalism, legal contexts, or everyday gossip to report what someone is asserting, especially when there is a hint of skepticism.
If I actually wanted to say "He wants to be innocent", how would people know the difference?
Context is everything! While Er will unschuldig sein could technically mean "He wants to be innocent" in a different situation, the first half of the sentence (Er leugnet die Schuld) makes it clear that he is defending his current legal or moral status, not expressing a wish.
I know Entschuldigung means "apology". Is it related to die Schuld?
Yes, exactly! die Schuld means "guilt", "blame", or "debt". When you say Entschuldigung, you are literally asking for the removal of blame from yourself. Here, Er leugnet die Schuld simply means he denies the guilt for whatever happened.
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