Breakdown of Er nimmt ein Schlafmittel, wohingegen sein Partner hellwach ist.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
er
he
nehmen
to take
der Partner
the partner (male)
wohingegen
whereas
das Schlafmittel
the sleeping pill
hellwach
wide awake
Questions & Answers about Er nimmt ein Schlafmittel, wohingegen sein Partner hellwach ist.
Why does the verb ist go at the very end of the sentence?
Because wohingegen (whereas) is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which means the conjugated verb, in this case ist, must be pushed to the very end of that clause.
Could I use während instead of wohingegen to mean "whereas"?
Yes, you could say während sein Partner hellwach ist. Both words can show a contrast. However, wohingegen is used exclusively to emphasize a strong, direct contrast. The word während can sometimes be ambiguous because its primary meaning is related to time (while or during).
How does the word hellwach work?
It is a compound adjective made of hell (bright or light) and wach (awake). In German, adding hell- to certain words acts as a strong intensifier, which is why it translates perfectly to the English idiom "wide awake."
Why use Schlafmittel instead of a literal translation for "sleeping pill"?
das Mittel generally translates to a means, agent, or remedy. So a Schlafmittel is literally a sleep remedy or sleep aid. While you could use a specific word like Schlaftablette (sleeping tablet), Schlafmittel is the standard umbrella term for any sleep medication.
Learn Er nimmt ein Schlafmittel, wohingegen sein Partner hellwach ist 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