Breakdown of Die Zwillinge wohnen zusammen, aber die Lebensstile sind völlig verschieden.
sein
to be
wohnen
to live
aber
but
zusammen
together
Questions & Answers about Die Zwillinge wohnen zusammen, aber die Lebensstile sind völlig verschieden.
Why doesn't the verb move to the end of the sentence after aber?
The word aber is a coordinating conjunction, which means it connects two main clauses without changing their word order. It sits in position zero of the second clause. The subject die Lebensstile takes position 1, and the verb sind stays exactly where you expect it, in position 2.
Is zusammenwohnen a separable verb here, or are they two separate words?
It is a separable verb! The infinitive is zusammenwohnen (to live together). Because it is conjugated in a main clause, the prefix zusammen detaches and moves to the end of that clause, giving us wohnen zusammen.
How is the compound noun Lebensstile formed?
It combines das Leben (life) and der Stil (style). The s in the middle is a connecting letter called a Fugen-s, which is used to link the two words smoothly. As with all compound nouns in German, the gender and plural form come from the final word, making the singular der Lebensstil and the plural die Lebensstile.
Could I use anders instead of verschieden here?