Breakdown of Erstaunlicherweise hat der Chef das Büro geputzt.
haben
to have
das Büro
the office
der Chef
the boss (male)
putzen
to clean
erstaunlicherweise
astonishingly
Questions & Answers about Erstaunlicherweise hat der Chef das Büro geputzt.
How is the word erstaunlicherweise formed, and what exactly does the -weise ending do?
It comes from the adjective erstaunlich (astonishing). By adding -weise, you turn the adjective into an adverb that describes your attitude toward the entire event. It translates to 'astonishingly' or 'in an astonishing way'.
Why is there an -er- in the middle? Why not just say erstaunlichweise?
When attaching -weise to an adjective to express a speaker's opinion, German almost always requires the connecting letters -er-. Historically, this was an old grammar ending, but today you can just think of -er- as the necessary glue between the adjective and the -weise suffix.
Does starting a sentence with a long attitude adverb like erstaunlicherweise change the word order?
The standard word order rule still applies. Erstaunlicherweise counts as one block of information and takes up Position 1. Because the conjugated verb must be in Position 2 in a regular main clause, the helper verb hat comes right after the adverb. The subject (der Chef) is then pushed to Position 3.
Is putzen the normal word for cleaning an office? I usually see it for brushing teeth (Zähne putzen).
Yes, putzen is very common for general cleaning, especially when wiping surfaces, scrubbing, or removing dirt. Besides brushing teeth, you will often hear Fenster putzen (cleaning windows) or das Bad putzen (cleaning the bathroom). Another perfectly fine option for cleaning a room is sauber machen.
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