Breakdown of Die Taste klemmt oft, was mich wütend macht.
machen
to make, to do
oft
often
mich
me
wütend
angry
Questions & Answers about Die Taste klemmt oft, was mich wütend macht.
Why do we use was here instead of a normal relative pronoun like die or das?
Normally, a relative pronoun points back to a specific noun. But here, was points back to the entire preceding sentence (Die Taste klemmt oft). Whenever you want to say 'which' to comment on a complete situation or action rather than a single noun, German uses was.
Doesn't was usually mean 'what'?
Yes, as a question word it means 'what'. However, when it is used as a relative pronoun referring to a whole preceding clause, it translates to English as 'which'. English uses 'which' to refer to both nouns and whole clauses, but German strictly requires was for whole clauses.
Why is the verb macht at the very end of the sentence?
Because was mich wütend macht is a relative clause. In German, relative clauses are dependent clauses, which means the conjugated verb (macht) must be pushed to the very end of that clause.
Can I use die Taste to talk about a button on my shirt or jacket?
No, die Taste specifically refers to a key or a push-button on a device, like a computer keyboard, a piano, or a remote control. For a button on a piece of clothing, you must use the word der Knopf.