Breakdown of Zum Glück verarbeiten wir ihn miteinander.
wir
we
ihn
him
zum Glück
luckily, fortunately
miteinander
with each other
verarbeiten
to process
Questions & Answers about Zum Glück verarbeiten wir ihn miteinander.
Why does the object pronoun ihn come after the subject wir in this sentence?
In the German Mittelfeld (the space after the conjugated verb), a pronoun subject like wir strictly precedes a pronoun object like ihn. Because both are pronouns, the subject takes priority and stays right next to the verb.
How would the word order change if the subject was a noun, like die Kollegen (the colleagues)?
If the subject is a noun, a pronoun object like ihn will usually jump ahead of it! You would say: Zum Glück verarbeiten ihn die Kollegen miteinander. Pronouns prefer to be as close to the conjugated verb as possible, so an object pronoun will cut in front of a nominal (noun) subject.
Why doesn't the ver- in verarbeiten go to the end of the sentence like a separable prefix?
The prefix ver- is inseparable and stays permanently glued to the verb. A good rule of thumb is that prefixes starting with an unstressed syllable (like be-, ge-, er-, ver-, ent-, and zer-) never separate.
Does verarbeiten refer to processing physical materials or emotional events?
It can be used for both! While it often means processing raw materials or data, it is very frequently used for mental and emotional processing (e.g., getting over a trauma or grief). Because ihn is a masculine pronoun here, they might be processing a shock (der Schock) or a conflict (der Konflikt).
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