Breakdown of Der Konkurrent mag zwar innovativ sein, aber das Produkt ist zu teuer.
sein
to be
aber
but
teuer
expensive
zu
too (e.g., too big)
das Produkt
the product
zwar
admittedly
mögen
may (concessive)
der Konkurrent
the competitor
innovativ
innovative
Questions & Answers about Der Konkurrent mag zwar innovativ sein, aber das Produkt ist zu teuer.
Why use mag here when it usually means "likes"?
When used subjectively like this, mögen expresses a concession—admitting a point before countering it. It works just like "may" in the English phrase "he may be right, but...". You wouldn't use kann or darf for this specific rhetorical structure.
What is the purpose of zwar in this sentence?
zwar (admittedly/indeed) partners with aber (but) to create a strong contrast. While mag already sets up the concession, adding zwar makes the "admittedly... but" structure even more emphatic. You could technically drop it, but the sentence sounds much more natural with it.
Why doesn't the verb come immediately after aber?
aber is a coordinating conjunction, meaning it sits outside the standard sentence structure in "position 0". It connects two main clauses without changing their word order. So, the second clause starts normally with the subject das Produkt in position 1, followed by the verb ist in position 2.
Could I use the subjunctive möchte here instead to say the competitor "might" be innovative?
No, for this specific concessive meaning, you must use the indicative form mag. If you used möchte, it would change the meaning to a desire: "The competitor would like to be innovative."
Learn Der Konkurrent mag zwar innovativ sein, aber das Produkt ist zu teuer and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free