Breakdown of Die Mathematik fällt aus. Stattdessen lernen wir Chemie.
lernen
to learn
wir
we
stattdessen
instead
ausfallen
to be canceled
die Chemie
the chemistry
die Mathematik
the mathematics
Questions & Answers about Die Mathematik fällt aus. Stattdessen lernen wir Chemie.
Why does the verb lernen come immediately after stattdessen?
Stattdessen is an adverbial connector, which means it counts as the first idea (Position 1) in the sentence. Since German requires the conjugated verb to be in Position 2, lernen must follow right away, pushing the subject wir to Position 3.
Could I just use statt here instead of stattdessen?
Not by itself. Statt (instead of) is a preposition or a conjunction that needs a noun or an infinitive clause attached to it. Stattdessen (instead / instead of that) is an adverb that stands independently to refer back to the previous sentence.
Why is the definite article used in Die Mathematik when the English translation just says 'Mathematics'?
In German, it is very common to use definite articles with school subjects, university majors, or broad abstract concepts. You could also say Mathematik fällt aus without the article, but adding Die sounds very natural when referring to the specific scheduled class.
The verb is ausfallen (to be canceled). What else can this verb mean?
Besides events or classes being canceled, the separable verb ausfallen is often used when a machine breaks down or stops working (like the heating or an engine), or when something physically falls out, like hair or teeth.
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