Breakdown of Wir finden, der Soundtrack ist wirklich fesselnd.
sein
to be
wir
we
wirklich
really
finden
to think, to consider (be of the opinion)
fesselnd
gripping
der Soundtrack
the soundtrack
Questions & Answers about Wir finden, der Soundtrack ist wirklich fesselnd.
Why is the verb ist in the second position instead of at the end of the sentence?
This sentence uses a subordinate clause without dass, which is exactly what your current lesson covers. When you drop dass after verbs of thinking, feeling, or saying (like finden), the dependent clause takes on normal main clause word order, meaning the verb stays in the second position. If we included the conjunction, the verb would jump to the end: Wir finden, dass der Soundtrack wirklich fesselnd ist.
Could we use denken instead of finden here to say 'we think'?
While denken translates to 'to think', finden is much more natural here. Germans use finden to express a subjective opinion, personal taste, or a direct impression of something they have experienced. Denken refers more to the literal cognitive process of having a thought in your head, while glauben is used for believing a fact. Since you are sharing a review of the soundtrack, finden is the best choice.
Where does the adjective fesselnd come from?
It is the present participle of the verb fesseln, which literally means 'to tie up', 'to chain', or 'to shackle'. Just like adding '-ing' to an English verb, adding -d to a German infinitive turns it into an adjective. Figuratively, if a piece of media 'ties up' your attention, it is 'gripping' or 'captivating'.
In English, we usually don't use a comma for 'We think the soundtrack is...' Why is there a comma after finden?
German has strict comma rules regarding clauses. Even though the conjunction dass has been dropped, der Soundtrack ist wirklich fesselnd is still an entirely separate clause with its own conjugated verb. In German, you must always separate two clauses with a comma, regardless of whether a conjunction is there to bridge them.
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