Breakdown of Der Sauerstoff wird nicht unsertwegen knapp.
nicht
not
werden
to become / to get (change of state)
knapp
scarce
der Sauerstoff
the oxygen
Questions & Answers about Der Sauerstoff wird nicht unsertwegen knapp.
Why do we use unsertwegen here instead of just saying wegen uns?
While you will often hear wegen uns in casual spoken German, unsertwegen is the formal, grammatically standard pronominal form. It is formed by combining the possessive stem (unser-) with a connecting -t- and wegen.
Sometimes I see unseretwegen with an extra 'e'. Which one is correct?
Both are correct! Unsertwegen is simply a very common, slightly contracted form of unseretwegen. You can use either one interchangeably.
Why is wird used here instead of ist if the English translation uses 'is'?
Here, wird (from werden) translates to 'is becoming' or 'is getting', indicating a process or change of state. If the sentence used ist, it would merely describe a fixed state, meaning the oxygen 'is' currently scarce, rather than a developing situation.
Why does nicht come right before unsertwegen?
In German, nicht usually sits directly in front of the specific element it is negating. By placing it before unsertwegen, the sentence specifically emphasizes that it is not because of us that the oxygen is running out (implying it might be because of something else).