Breakdown of Egal, wohin wir gehen, wir verlaufen uns und finden eine Sackgasse.
ein
a, an (eine)
und
and
wir
we
finden
to find
wohin
where to
gehen
to go
egal
all the same, not mattering
die Sackgasse
the dead end
sich verlaufen
to get lost
Questions & Answers about Egal, wohin wir gehen, wir verlaufen uns und finden eine Sackgasse.
How does egal work with wohin in this sentence?
When you combine egal with a question word like wohin (where to), it translates to 'no matter where'. This creates a dependent clause, which is why the conjugated verb gehen is pushed to the very end of that clause.
Why is it wir verlaufen uns and not verlaufen wir uns? Doesn't the first clause push the main verb to the front?
You have a great eye! Normally, a dependent clause at the start of a sentence takes up position one, forcing the main clause to start with its verb. However, an egal clause is often treated as a detached, introductory remark. Because it sits outside the main sentence structure, the main clause can just use its normal subject-verb order (wir verlaufen).
Why do we need uns in wir verlaufen uns?
The verb sich verlaufen is a reflexive verb. While laufen simply means 'to walk' or 'to run', adding the reflexive pronoun changes the meaning entirely to 'to get lost' (specifically by walking). Here, uns is the reflexive pronoun for wir.
What is the literal meaning of Sackgasse?
It literally translates to 'sack alley'. It is a combination of der Sack (sack or bag) and die Gasse (alley or narrow street). Just like a sack is closed at the bottom, a Sackgasse is closed at one end, making it the perfect word for a dead end.
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