Breakdown of Da es dringend ist, arbeitet das Lektorat am ersten Mai.
sein
to be
es
it
arbeiten
to work
der Mai
May
am
on the / at the
erste
first (adjective)
dringend
urgent / urgently
da
since, because
das Lektorat
the editorial department
Questions & Answers about Da es dringend ist, arbeitet das Lektorat am ersten Mai.
Why use Da here instead of Weil?
Both mean 'because' or 'since'. Da is frequently used when the reason is already known to the listener or when the subordinate clause comes before the main clause, just like in this sentence. It also sounds slightly more formal or written than weil.
Why does the main clause start with the verb arbeitet?
The entire subordinate clause (Da es dringend ist) occupies the first position in the overall sentence. In German, the conjugated verb of the main clause must stay in the second position, so arbeitet is forced to come immediately after the comma.
Why does ersten end in -en in the phrase am ersten Mai?
ersten (first) is an ordinal number acting as an adjective. The preposition an combined with dem makes am (dative case). Because it follows a definite article in the dative case, the adjective must take the weak ending -en.
What is the difference between das Lektorat and der Lektor?
A Lektor is an editor or proofreader (the person), while das Lektorat refers to the editorial department or the editing process itself. Adding the suffix -at to a profession often creates a neuter noun for the corresponding office, department, or institution.
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