Breakdown of Der Fisch ist ungenießbar, zumal er völlig versalzen ist.
sein
to be
er
he
der Fisch
the fish
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
versalzen
to oversalt
völlig
completely
zumal
especially since
ungenießbar
inedible
Questions & Answers about Der Fisch ist ungenießbar, zumal er völlig versalzen ist.
Why is the verb ist at the very end of the sentence?
Because zumal is a subordinating conjunction, just like weil or dass. It introduces a dependent clause, which means the conjugated verb (ist) must be pushed to the very end of that clause.
Does zumal mean the exact same thing as weil?
Not exactly. While both express causality, zumal translates to "especially since" or "especially because." It is used to add a particularly strong or additional reason to something that was just stated. You could also express this with besonders weil, but zumal is a more elegant, single-word alternative.
How does the prefix ver- change the meaning of salzen in this sentence?
The verb salzen just means "to salt." The prefix ver- is often used to express that an action was done incorrectly or to excess, resulting in something being ruined. So, versalzen means "oversalted" or "ruined by adding too much salt."
What is the literal breakdown of the word ungenießbar?
It comes from the verb genießen, which means "to enjoy." Adding the suffix -bar makes it an adjective meaning "enjoyable" (similar to the English suffix "-able"). The prefix un- negates it. So, something that is ungenießbar is literally "unenjoyable," which in the context of food translates to "inedible."
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