Breakdown of Er war heute schusselig, aber er hat es wirklich gut gemeint.
sein
to be
er
he
es
it
gut
good / well
Questions & Answers about Er war heute schusselig, aber er hat es wirklich gut gemeint.
Why is there an es in er hat es wirklich gut gemeint when the English translation is just "he really meant well"?
The phrase es gut meinen (to mean well) is a fixed expression in German that requires the dummy object es. It acts as a placeholder for the general situation or the person's intentions. You cannot drop it, even though it does not translate directly to English.
Is schusselig a formal word?
No, schusselig is a colloquial but very common adjective. It describes someone who is scatterbrained, slightly disorganized, or a bit clumsy. It is usually used in a mild, everyday context rather than as a harsh insult.
Could I use the verb bedeuten instead of meinen here?
No, bedeuten is used for the factual definition of a word or a sign. When talking about a person's intentions or what they are trying to express, you must use meinen. Furthermore, the fixed phrase for "to mean well" is strictly es gut meinen.
Why doesn't aber push the verb hat to the end of the sentence?
The word aber is a coordinating conjunction, which means it simply connects two main clauses without altering their word order. It occupies position zero in the clause. The subject er sits in position 1, and the conjugated verb hat stays right where it belongs in position 2.