Breakdown of Obwohl es regnet, erträgt sie es, draußen zu warten.
sie
she
es
it
regnen
to rain
draußen
outside
warten
to wait
zu
to (infinitive marker)
obwohl
although
ertragen
to bear
Questions & Answers about Obwohl es regnet, erträgt sie es, draußen zu warten.
Why is there an es after sie in the middle of the sentence?
This second es is a placeholder object (Korrelat). The verb ertragen (to endure) requires a direct object. Because the actual thing she is enduring is a whole infinitive phrase (draußen zu warten), the es holds the object's place in the main clause and points forward to that action.
The sentence has two es words. Are they doing the exact same grammatical job?
No, they serve two entirely different functions here. The first es in Obwohl es regnet is an impersonal subject used for weather, just like 'it' in the English 'it is raining'. The second es in erträgt sie es is the placeholder object we are currently studying, pointing to the infinitive phrase at the end of the sentence.
Why does the main clause start with the verb erträgt instead of the subject sie?
The entire subordinate clause Obwohl es regnet acts as the first position in the overall sentence. Because German requires the main conjugated verb to be in the second position, erträgt must immediately follow the comma. This naturally pushes the subject sie into the third position.
Can I leave out the second es and just say ...erträgt sie, draußen zu warten?
With the verb ertragen, the placeholder es is highly recommended and sounds much more natural. Verbs that express personal reactions, emotional endurance, or mental states (like ertragen, hassen, lieben, or bedauern) generally keep the es when introducing a following infinitive or dass clause.
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