Breakdown of Die Leidenschaft überwältigt ihn ganz.
ihn
him
ganz
quite, completely; whole
die Leidenschaft
the passion
überwältigen
to overwhelm
Questions & Answers about Die Leidenschaft überwältigt ihn ganz.
Why isn't the verb split into wältigt ihn ganz über?
The verb überwältigen (to overwhelm) is an inseparable verb, so the prefix über- stays attached. A good trick to remember this: if the spoken stress is on the root word (überWÄLTigen), it is inseparable. If the stress is on the prefix, it splits.
Is Leidenschaft related to the verb leiden (to suffer)?
Yes! Just like the English word "passion" (which comes from a Latin root for suffering), Leidenschaft originally meant a strong emotion that you endure or suffer through. The suffix -schaft turns it into a noun, similar to "-ship" in English.
I learned that ganz means "whole". How does it mean "completely" here?
When used as an adjective before a noun, ganz means "whole" (like der ganze Tag - the whole day). But when used as an adverb to describe how an action is done, as it does here, it translates to "completely" or "entirely".
Why do we use the accusative ihn instead of the dative ihm here?
The verb überwältigen takes a direct object because the action is being done directly to the person. Therefore, the pronoun takes the accusative case (ihn).