Breakdown of Der Kunde verhält sich völlig unauffällig.
der Kunde
the customer
völlig
completely
sich verhalten
to behave
unauffällig
inconspicuous
Questions & Answers about Der Kunde verhält sich völlig unauffällig.
Why is sich used here?
The verb for behaving is the reflexive verb sich verhalten. In English, we just say behaves, but in German, the customer essentially behaves himself. Since der Kunde is a third-person singular subject, the reflexive pronoun is sich.
How can I easily remember the word unauffällig?
It comes from the verb auffallen, which literally means to fall upon but is used to mean to stand out or to catch the eye. The adjective auffällig means conspicuous or striking. By adding the negative prefix un-, you get unauffällig, meaning inconspicuous or unnoticeable.
Could I use ganz instead of völlig in this sentence?
Yes, ganz and völlig are often interchangeable when used to emphasize an adjective or adverb. Saying Der Kunde verhält sich ganz unauffällig means the exact same thing, though völlig can sound just a little more emphatic.
Why does verhält have an umlaut?
The verb sich verhalten is based on the strong irregular verb halten meaning to hold. Strong verbs with an a in the root usually change to an ä in the present tense for the du and er/sie/es forms. Just like er hält, it becomes er verhält.
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