Breakdown of Die Firma droht zusammenzubrechen, weshalb die Verhandlungen sich nicht hinziehen dürfen.
nicht
not
dürfen
to be allowed to, may
die Firma
the company
die Verhandlung
the negotiation
weshalb
which is why
drohen
to threaten (with consequences or impending danger)
zusammenbrechen
to collapse
sich hinziehen
to drag on
Questions & Answers about Die Firma droht zusammenzubrechen, weshalb die Verhandlungen sich nicht hinziehen dürfen.
How does drohen work here? Does the company actively threaten someone?
No. When used with zu and an infinitive, drohen acts to express an imminent danger or negative expectation. It does not mean the subject is making a conscious threat. Instead, it translates closer to "is in danger of" or "is on the verge of" collapsing.
Why is zusammenzubrechen written as one word instead of zusammen zu brechen?
Because zusammenbrechen (to collapse) is a separable verb. When forming the zu infinitive for separable verbs, the zu is squeezed between the prefix (zusammen) and the stem (brechen), and the whole expression must be written as a single word.
Could I use deshalb instead of weshalb here?
You could use deshalb, but you would have to start a new main clause or connect it with "und" (e.g., ...zusammenzubrechen. Deshalb dürfen...). Because this is a subordinate clause directly attached to the first one by a comma, we need a relative adverb like weshalb (which is why) to connect them properly.
Why does the translation say "must not" for nicht ... dürfen? Doesn't müssen mean "must"?
müssen does mean "must", but when negated, nicht müssen means "don't have to" (a lack of obligation). To express a strict prohibition ("must not"), German always uses nicht dürfen (literally "not allowed to"). This is a classic trap for English speakers that is always worth reviewing.
How does sich hinziehen mean "drag on"?
The verb ziehen means "to pull". When you add the prefix hin (indicating movement along or away) and make it reflexive (sich), sich hinziehen takes on the figurative meaning of stretching an event out over time, perfectly matching the English "to drag on".
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