Question 1

What role does bedeutend play in this sentence, and how is it different from just using viel?

Accepted Answer

Here, bedeutend acts as a degree adverb intensifying the comparative intelligenter to mean considerably more intelligent. While you could simply use viel (much) to say viel intelligenter, words like bedeutend, wesentlich, and weitaus elevate your German to a B2 level. They sound slightly more formal and add a stronger, more precise emphasis to the comparison.

Question 2

Why is there a comma before als in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The comma is required because als is introducing a full subordinate clause. You can tell it is a full clause because it has its own subject (sie) and a conjugated verb (wirken). If the comparison did not have a conjugated verb, like in the phrase intelligenter als Hunde (more intelligent than dogs), you would not use a comma.

Question 3

Why does the verb wirken go at the very end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

When als (than) connects a main clause to a full comparative clause, it acts as a subordinating conjunction. Just like with words such as dass or weil, this subordinate structure forces the conjugated verb (wirken) to the very end of its clause.

Question 4

Could I use aussehen instead of wirken to mean appear here?

Accepted Answer

It would sound unnatural. While aussehen means to look or to appear in a strictly physical or visual sense, wirken means to appear or to seem based on the overall impression someone gives. Since intelligence is judged by behavior and mental capacity rather than just physical looks, wirken is the perfect choice here.

Schimpansen sind bedeutend intelligenter, als sie oft wirken.

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