Breakdown of Auch wenn die Kultur fremd ist, bleibe ich hier.
ich
I
sein
to be
hier
here
bleiben
to stay
fremd
strange
auch wenn
even if
die Kultur
the culture
Questions & Answers about Auch wenn die Kultur fremd ist, bleibe ich hier.
Why does the verb ist go at the end of the first clause?
The phrase starts with auch wenn (even if), which acts as a subordinating conjunction. This means it creates a dependent clause and kicks the conjugated verb, ist, to the very end of that clause, right before the comma.
Why does the second half of the sentence start with bleibe instead of ich?
In German, the conjugated verb in a main clause must be in the second position. Because the entire auch wenn clause counts as position one, the verb bleibe must immediately follow the comma to take position two, pushing the subject ich right after it.
Does fremd always translate to foreign?
Not always! While it means foreign in this context, fremd is also commonly used to mean strange, unfamiliar, or belonging to someone else. If you say someone is a Fremder, you are calling them a stranger.
The translation says I am staying, but isn't bleibe just I stay?
German does not have a continuous -ing tense. The simple present tense ich bleibe covers both I stay and I am staying, so you just rely on the context to know which one sounds better in English.
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