Breakdown of Sie ist immer ehrlich zu mir.
sein
to be
immer
always
mir
me / to me (dative)
zu
to (direction, + dative)
ehrlich
honest
Questions & Answers about Sie ist immer ehrlich zu mir.
Why does the sentence use zu instead of a word for 'with'?
In English, you say that you are honest 'with' someone. In German, the adjective ehrlich (honest) pairs with the preposition zu (to). You literally say that someone is honest 'to' you.
How would I add meiner Meinung nach (in my opinion) to the beginning of this sentence?
You would say: Meiner Meinung nach ist sie immer ehrlich zu mir. The phrase meiner Meinung nach takes up the first position in the sentence, so the verb ist must immediately follow it in the second position, pushing the subject sie to the third position.
Why is it mir and not mich?
The preposition zu always requires the dative case. Therefore, the pronoun must be the dative mir rather than the accusative mich.
Could I put immer at the end of the sentence: Sie ist ehrlich zu mir immer?
No, that would sound unnatural. In German, adverbs of time like immer generally come early in the sentence, right after the conjugated verb and the subject. It belongs before the adjective ehrlich.
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