Question 1

Why does will translate to "claims" here instead of "wants"?

Accepted Answer

This is the "subjective" use of wollen. While it usually means "to want", when paired with a past action it often expresses that someone is making a claim about themselves, but the speaker isn't entirely sure it's true. The boss is claiming he didn't notice, but we might doubt him!

Question 2

Why are there two verbs at the end (bemerkt haben)?

Accepted Answer

Because the boss's claim is about something that happened in the past. To use a modal verb like will with a past event, you use the "perfect infinitive". Instead of bemerken (to notice), you combine the past participle bemerkt with the infinitive haben to mean "to have noticed".

Question 3

Why is it des Betrügers with an "-s" at the end?

Accepted Answer

This is the genitive case, which shows possession. Der Betrüger means "the scammer". To say "the scammer's trick" or "the trick of the scammer", the masculine article der changes to des, and we add an -s to the noun, giving us die Masche des Betrügers.

Question 4

I thought die Masche meant a stitch in knitting. Why does it mean "trick" here?

Accepted Answer

You are right about the literal meaning! However, in everyday German, die Masche is frequently used as a colloquial term for a scam, a con, or someone's sneaky method of operating.

Question 5

Why is nicht placed right before bemerkt haben?

Accepted Answer

When you negate the main action in a sentence that has verbs at the end, nicht generally gets pushed as far back as possible, sitting right in front of the verbs it negates. Here, it negates the whole idea of "having noticed" (bemerkt haben).

Der Chef will die Masche des Betrügers nicht bemerkt haben.

Breakdown of Der Chef will die Masche des Betrügers nicht bemerkt haben.

Questions & Answers about Der Chef will die Masche des Betrügers nicht bemerkt haben.

Learn Der Chef will die Masche des Betrügers nicht bemerkt haben and more in German