Breakdown of Das neue Konzept ist insoweit gut, als es den Körper schont.
sein
to be
es
it
gut
good / well
neu
new
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
das Konzept
the concept
schonen
to conserve
als
as (in 'insofern ... als')
insoweit
insofar
der Körper
the body
Questions & Answers about Das neue Konzept ist insoweit gut, als es den Körper schont.
How does the insoweit ... als structure work in this sentence?
The words insoweit and als work together as a two-part conjunction meaning insofar as or to the extent that. The word insoweit sits in the main clause, often right before the adjective it restricts (gut), while als introduces a subordinate clause, pushing the conjugated verb (schont) to the very end.
Could I use insofern instead of insoweit here?
Yes! The words insofern and insoweit are virtually interchangeable when used with als to mean insofar as. You could just as easily say Das neue Konzept ist insofern gut, als es den Körper schont.
Why is the verb schont pushed to the very end of the sentence?
The word als here acts as a subordinating conjunction, which means it creates a dependent clause. In German dependent clauses, the conjugated verb must go at the very end. This is a good reminder that als does not just mean than or when, but can also trigger this verb-final word order in restrictive clauses.
The English translation says is easy on the body, but what does schont literally mean?
The verb schonen literally means to protect, to spare, or to treat with care. So es den Körper schont translates literally to it protects the body or spares the body, which is the most natural way in German to express that something is physically easy on you or has low impact.
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