Questions & Answers about Normalerweise verdrängt sie es.
Why does the subject sie come before the object es here?
Because both the subject (sie) and the object (es) are pronouns. In the German Mittelfeld (the part of the sentence right after the conjugated verb), a subject pronoun strictly comes before an object pronoun.
What would happen to the word order if we replaced the pronoun sie with a noun, like die Patientin?
The object pronoun es would typically jump in front of the noun subject. You would say: Normalerweise verdrängt es die Patientin. This is because pronouns prefer to cluster right after the verb and usually precede nouns in the Mittelfeld, even if that noun is the subject!
Does verdrängen mean the same thing as unterdrücken?
They are similar but used differently. Verdrängen is used for subconscious psychological repression, like pushing a painful memory out of your mind. Unterdrücken is more about actively or consciously suppressing a physical urge, an emotion (like trying not to laugh), or oppressing people.
Could we start the sentence with Sie instead of Normalerweise?
Yes, you could say: Sie verdrängt es normalerweise. Putting Normalerweise in position 1 just emphasizes that this is her usual habit. Because the adverb takes up the first slot, the verb verdrängt stays in position 2, forcing the subject sie to move into the Mittelfeld.
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