Breakdown of Verständlicherweise war ich ihm sehr dankbar.
ich
I
sein
to be
er
he
sehr
very
dankbar
grateful
verständlicherweise
understandably
Questions & Answers about Verständlicherweise war ich ihm sehr dankbar.
How is the word verständlicherweise built?
It comes from the adjective verständlich (understandable). The suffix -weise turns it into an adverb expressing a speaker's attitude, meaning 'understandably.' Notice the extra -er- in the middle: this is a common connecting sound used before -weise, just like in glücklicherweise (fortunately).
Why is the verb war placed before the subject ich in this sentence?
This is because of the strict 'verb-second' rule in German main clauses. Since the adverb verständlicherweise occupies the first position, the verb war must take the second position. This pushes the subject ich to the third position, directly after the verb.
Why do we use the dative pronoun ihm here instead of the accusative ihn?
The adjective dankbar (grateful) always requires the dative case for the person you are expressing gratitude to. So, to say you are grateful 'to him,' you must use the dative form ihm.
Could I start the sentence with ich instead?
Yes, you can absolutely say Ich war ihm verständlicherweise sehr dankbar. Starting with verständlicherweise, as this sentence does, simply places a bit more emphasis on the fact that your gratitude was completely understandable.
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