Breakdown of Wem auch immer wir begegnen, die Leute sind freundlich.
sein
to be
auch
also, too
wir
we
die Leute
the people
immer
always
wem
whom
freundlich
friendly
begegnen
to encounter
Questions & Answers about Wem auch immer wir begegnen, die Leute sind freundlich.
Why does this sentence use Wem auch immer instead of Wer auch immer?
The verb begegnen (to encounter / to meet) is a dative verb, meaning it requires its object to be in the dative case. Since the unknown people we are encountering are the object of the clause, the pronoun must take the dative form wem.
Do the words auch immer ever change depending on the case?
No, the phrase auch immer is completely fixed. Only the question word at the beginning changes its form (wer, wen, wem, was, etc.) to match the grammatical role it plays in its specific clause.
Why doesn't the second clause start with the verb? Shouldn't it be ...sind die Leute freundlich?
Usually, yes! When a dependent clause comes first, the main clause typically starts with the verb to maintain "verb-second" word order. However, auch immer clauses are often treated as detached introductory phrases rather than taking up the first position of the main sentence. Because it acts as a separate thought, the main clause (die Leute sind freundlich) resets and uses standard Subject-Verb word order.
Could I use egal instead of auch immer in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely! Egal wem wir begegnen is a very common, slightly more conversational way to express the exact same meaning ("No matter whom we encounter").
Learn Wem auch immer wir begegnen, die Leute sind freundlich 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