Breakdown of Er hat es zu leicht genommen und das Interview vermasselt.
er
he
es
it
und
and
haben
to have
nehmen
to take
zu
too (e.g., too big)
leicht
light / lightweight
das Interview
the interview
vermasseln
to mess up
Questions & Answers about Er hat es zu leicht genommen und das Interview vermasselt.
Does es refer to a specific thing here, or is it a dummy object?
In the phrase es leicht nehmen (to take things lightly), es often acts as a dummy object representing the general situation or task at hand. However, depending on the broader context, it could also refer back to a specific neuter noun (like das Interview). The phrase works perfectly either way.
Why is there no helper verb for vermasselt at the end of the sentence?
The auxiliary verb hat applies to both halves of the sentence: Er hat es zu leicht genommen and (er hat) das Interview vermasselt. Just like in English, when two connected clauses share the same subject and helper verb, you can drop them in the second clause to avoid sounding repetitive.
Is vermasseln a formal or informal word?
It is a colloquial (informal) word meaning to mess something up, blow it, or botch it. In a formal context, you would use a word like ruinieren or verderben. Notice that it starts with the inseparable prefix ver-, which is why its past participle vermasselt does not get a ge- added to the front.
Could I say Er hat es zu einfach genommen instead of leicht?
No, because this is a fixed expression. While both leicht and einfach can translate to 'easy', the phrase es leicht nehmen specifically requires leicht to convey taking something too lightly or not seriously enough.
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