Breakdown of Sie ist zu stur, als dass sie dir jetzt verzeihen würde.
sein
to be
sie
she
jetzt
now
zu
too (e.g., too big)
dir
you / to you [informal singular, dative]
würde
would (conditional auxiliary)
stur
stubborn
als dass
than that
verzeihen
to forgive
Questions & Answers about Sie ist zu stur, als dass sie dir jetzt verzeihen würde.
Why do we use als dass and the Konjunktiv II würde here instead of a simple infinitive?
The structure zu + adjective + als dass expresses an irreal consequence. It describes something that will not happen because the degree of the adjective is too extreme. German emphasizes this impossibility by using the Konjunktiv II. While English simply says too stubborn to forgive, the German phrasing is closer to too stubborn than that she would forgive.
Could I use an um ... zu clause instead of als dass in this sentence?
Yes, because the subject (sie) is the same in both parts of the sentence, you could also say Sie ist zu stur, um dir jetzt zu verzeihen. However, if the subjects were different (for example, She is too stubborn for me to help her), you would be forced to use the als dass structure. The als dass version here places a slightly stronger emphasis on the fact that her forgiving you is purely hypothetical and won't happen.
Why is the pronoun dir in the dative case rather than the accusative dich?
The verb verzeihen (to forgive) is a dative verb. It always requires a dative object for the person being forgiven. While English treats you as a direct object here, German treats the person as an indirect receiver, essentially meaning to grant forgiveness to you.
Could I use the single-word Konjunktiv II form verziehe instead of verzeihen würde?
Grammatically, yes: als dass sie dir jetzt verziehe is perfectly correct. However, for most verbs, the würde + infinitive form is heavily preferred in everyday German. The true Konjunktiv II form of verzeihen sounds quite formal or literary, so it is usually safer and more natural for learners to use the würde form.
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