Breakdown of Das werde ich niemals vergessen.
ich
I
vergessen
to forget
werden
will (future auxiliary)
niemals
never (emphatic)
Questions & Answers about Das werde ich niemals vergessen.
Why does the sentence start with Das instead of Ich?
Putting the object (Das) in the first position adds strong emphasis, much like saying 'That, I will never forget' in English. In German, you can put almost any piece of information first to emphasize it, as long as the conjugated verb (werde) stays in the strict second position. This simply pushes the subject (ich) into the third position.
How does the position of niemals relate to the rules for placing nicht?
Niemals (never) acts as a negating adverb and follows the exact same placement rules as nicht. Because it is negating the action of the verb itself (vergessen), it is placed as far to the end of the sentence as possible, sitting directly in front of the final infinitive verb.
Could I use nie instead of niemals in this sentence?
Absolutely. Das werde ich nie vergessen is completely correct and means the same thing. Niemals is just a slightly stronger, more emphatic version of nie, which pairs nicely with the dramatic tone of emphasizing Das at the beginning of the sentence.
How is the future tense being formed here?
The future tense in German is built using a conjugated form of werden (here as werde) in the second position, along with the main action verb in its infinitive form (vergessen) pushed to the very end of the sentence. Together, they translate perfectly to 'will forget'.
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