Breakdown of Wir senden jetzt live. Inzwischen ist die Kamera kaputt.
sein
to be
jetzt
now
wir
we
die Kamera
the camera
kaputt
broken
senden
to broadcast
live
live
inzwischen
meanwhile
Questions & Answers about Wir senden jetzt live. Inzwischen ist die Kamera kaputt.
Why does the verb ist come right after Inzwischen?
Inzwischen is an adverb (specifically, a temporal adverbial connector). When it sits in the first position of a clause, it takes up "slot 1." German's strict V2 (verb-second) rule means the conjugated verb, ist, must immediately follow in slot 2. This pushes the subject, die Kamera, to the third position.
Could I use währenddessen instead of inzwischen in this sentence?
Absolutely. Both words are adverbial connectors that mean "meanwhile" or "in the meantime." They both trigger the exact same V2 word order. Gleichzeitig (at the same time) would also work here with the exact same grammar rules.
Is there a subtle difference in meaning between inzwischen and währenddessen?
Yes, there can be! While both can mean "meanwhile," inzwischen very often means "by now" (implying a change of state over time). For example, Er war krank, aber inzwischen ist er gesund (He was sick, but by now he is healthy). In our sentence, it functions as "meanwhile," but währenddessen strictly means "during that time" and is unambiguous if you only want to express simultaneity.
Why is senden used here instead of schicken for "to send"?
While both words translate to "to send" in the context of letters, emails, or packages, senden is the specific verb used for broadcasting television, radio, or internet streams. You cannot use schicken for a live broadcast.
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