Breakdown of Das Wetter ist unbeständig, aber wir riskieren es und grillen.
sein
to be
es
it
und
and
aber
but
wir
we
das Wetter
the weather
unbeständig
unsettled
riskieren
to risk
grillen
to barbecue
Questions & Answers about Das Wetter ist unbeständig, aber wir riskieren es und grillen.
How could we express a similar idea using es sei denn (unless)?
This sentence states what is actually happening despite the weather. To practice this lesson's grammar, you could frame it as a condition: Wir grillen, es sei denn, das Wetter ist zu unbeständig (We are barbecuing, unless the weather is too unsettled).
What exactly does es refer to in wir riskieren es?
The pronoun es is a placeholder for the action they are taking a chance on. German often uses es as a dummy object with verbs like riskieren or versuchen when the specific action (in this case, having a barbecue) is implied by the context.
Why is there no wir after und? Shouldn't it be und wir grillen?
Just like in English, you can drop the subject in the second part of a coordinated clause if it is the exact same subject (wir) as the first part. You don't have to repeat it after und.
The word unbeständig means 'unsettled'. What is the root of this word?
It comes from beständig, which means 'constant' or 'steady'. Adding the prefix un- simply makes it the opposite. You will also see this root in the common word ständig (constantly or always).
Learn Das Wetter ist unbeständig, aber wir riskieren es und grillen 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