Breakdown of Unseren Erwartungen entgegen hat der Schüler die Prüfung bestanden.
haben
to have
unser
our
die Prüfung
the exam
bestehen
to pass (exam)
der Schüler
the pupil, the school student
die Erwartung
the expectation
entgegen
contrary to
Questions & Answers about Unseren Erwartungen entgegen hat der Schüler die Prüfung bestanden.
Why is entgegen placed after Unseren Erwartungen instead of before it?
entgegen is a flexible preposition that can be placed either before or after the noun it refers to. When it means 'contrary to,' placing it after the noun (acting as a postposition) is very common and sounds a bit more elegant in written German.
Could I write Entgegen unseren Erwartungen at the start of the sentence instead?
Yes, absolutely. Both word orders are perfectly correct and mean the exact same thing. Seeing it placed after the noun is just a stylistic choice that you will frequently encounter at the B2 level and above.
What case is Unseren Erwartungen, and why?
It is in the dative case. The preposition entgegen always requires the dative. Because the noun Erwartungen (expectations) is plural here, the possessive pronoun takes the dative plural ending -en, making it Unseren.
Why does the verb hat come right after entgegen? Shouldn't the subject come first?
Remember the golden rule of German main clauses: the conjugated verb must be in the second position. The entire phrase Unseren Erwartungen entgegen occupies position one. Therefore, the verb hat must take position two, which pushes the subject der Schüler into position three.
Learn Unseren Erwartungen entgegen hat der Schüler die Prüfung bestanden 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