Breakdown of Sie redet so eingebildet, als wüsste sie alles.
sie
she
reden
to talk
wissen
to know (a fact)
so
so, such (intensifier)
alles
everything
als
as if (irreal comparison)
eingebildet
conceited
Questions & Answers about Sie redet so eingebildet, als wüsste sie alles.
Why is the verb wüsste right after als instead of at the end of the clause?
When you use als for an unreal comparison, it acts a bit differently than other conjunctions. It triggers verb-first word order in its clause, meaning the conjugated verb wüsste must come immediately after als.
Why do we use wüsste here instead of the normal present tense weiß?
The word wüsste is the Konjunktiv II form of wissen. We use it here because this is an unreal comparison: she does not actually know everything, she just acts like it. The Konjunktiv II is required for these hypothetical scenarios to show that the statement is not reality.
Could I say als ob instead of just als in this sentence?
The word eingebildet means conceited, but what is its literal background?
It comes from the reflexive verb sich etwas einbilden, which means to imagine something or fool yourself into believing something. So if someone is eingebildet, they literally have an inflated, imagined idea of themselves.
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