Breakdown of Der Gast weint. Inzwischen rufen die Zuschauer an.
anrufen
to call (by phone)
weinen
to cry
der Gast
the guest
inzwischen
meanwhile
der Zuschauer
the viewer
Questions & Answers about Der Gast weint. Inzwischen rufen die Zuschauer an.
Why does rufen come right after Inzwischen instead of the subject?
Because inzwischen is a temporal adverb, not a coordinating conjunction (like und or aber). When you put an adverb in the first position of a main clause, the verb must take the second position (V2 word order). This pushes the subject (die Zuschauer) to the third position.
Could I use währenddessen or gleichzeitig instead of inzwischen here?
Yes! Währenddessen (meanwhile) means exactly the same thing and can be used interchangeably here. Gleichzeitig (at the same time) also works and requires the exact same V2 word order, but it feels slightly more clinical or literal than the narrative "in the meantime" vibe of inzwischen.
Do I have to start the second sentence with Inzwischen?
No, since it's an adverb, it is flexible. You could start with the subject and move the adverb to the middle: Die Zuschauer rufen inzwischen an. Starting with Inzwischen just places more emphasis on the contrast in time.
Why is an dangling at the very end of the sentence?
This is a quick refresher on separable verbs. The infinitive verb is anrufen (to call by phone). In a standard main clause, the conjugated stem (rufen) takes the second position, while the separable prefix (an) gets kicked to the very end of the clause.
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