Breakdown of Ich weiß, dass es eine Meinungsverschiedenheit gibt in unserer Familie.
ich
I
ein
a, an (eine)
in
in
die Familie
the family
unser
our
wissen
to know (a fact)
es gibt
there is / there are
dass
that
die Meinungsverschiedenheit
the disagreement
Questions & Answers about Ich weiß, dass es eine Meinungsverschiedenheit gibt in unserer Familie.
Why is in unserer Familie placed after the verb gibt in a dass clause?
This is an example of using the Nachfeld (after-field). Normally, in a dass subordinate clause, the conjugated verb (gibt) must go at the very end. However, German allows certain elements, like prepositional phrases, to be placed after the final verb. This often happens in spoken German to prevent the middle of the sentence from becoming too heavy, or to add a clarifying afterthought.
How would this sentence look with standard subordinate clause word order?
If you don't use the Nachfeld, the verb gibt goes to the absolute end. The standard sentence would be: Ich weiß, dass es in unserer Familie eine Meinungsverschiedenheit gibt.
Meinungsverschiedenheit is quite a mouthful! What are its component parts?
It breaks down into logical pieces: die Meinung (opinion) + an -s- connecting letter + die Verschiedenheit (difference). The word Verschiedenheit comes from the adjective verschieden (different). So, it literally translates to a "difference of opinion."
Why does es gibt trigger eine Meinungsverschiedenheit here?
The fixed expression es gibt (there is / there are) always requires its object to be in the accusative case. Because German nouns ending in -heit are always feminine, the accusative article is eine.
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