Breakdown of Der Gestank ist zu schrecklich, als dass wir bleiben würden.
sein
to be
wir
we
zu
too (e.g., too big)
bleiben
to stay
würde
would (conditional auxiliary)
schrecklich
terrible, awful
als dass
than that
der Gestank
the stench
Questions & Answers about Der Gestank ist zu schrecklich, als dass wir bleiben würden.
Why do we use als dass here instead of translating "for us to stay" directly?
English uses "too [adjective] for [someone] to [verb]". German doesn't use a literal translation for that. Instead, when the subjects are different (the stench vs. us), you must use zu [adjective], als dass followed by a conjugated verb. It literally translates to "too awful, than that we would stay".
Why is bleiben würden in the Konjunktiv II form?
Because the action of staying is unreal or impossible. The stench is so bad that staying is not going to happen. The als dass structure requires the Konjunktiv II to show that this consequence is purely hypothetical and won't actually occur.
Could I use an infinitive clause like um zu bleiben instead of als dass?
Not in this exact sentence, because the subjects of the two halves are different. The first subject is der Gestank and the second is wir. You can only use a shortened um ... zu infinitive clause if the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence.
What is the difference between Gestank and Geruch?
Der Gestank always means a terrible smell, like a "stench" or "stink". If you want to talk about a neutral or good smell, you would use der Geruch.
Learn Der Gestank ist zu schrecklich, als dass wir bleiben würden 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