Breakdown of Wir testen den Filter, ohne dass die Nässe dem Boden schadet.
wir
we
der Boden
the floor / the ground
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
testen
to test (try out)
schaden
to harm
ohne dass
without (+ subordinate clause)
der Filter
the filter
die Nässe
the wetness
Questions & Answers about Wir testen den Filter, ohne dass die Nässe dem Boden schadet.
Where does the noun die Nässe come from?
It is derived from the adjective nass (wet). As you are learning in this lesson, you can turn many physical adjectives into feminine abstract nouns by adding the suffix -e and an umlaut to the stem vowel (a -> ä). Thus, nass becomes die Nässe (the wetness or moisture).
Why do we use ohne dass here instead of ohne ... zu?
We must use ohne dass because the two clauses have completely different subjects: wir (we) in the main clause, and die Nässe (the wetness) in the subordinate clause. You can only use the infinitive structure ohne ... zu (without doing something) when the subject is exactly the same in both parts of the sentence.
Why is the floor in the dative case (dem Boden) rather than the accusative?
Because the verb schaden (to damage / to harm) is a dative verb. In English, you damage a direct object, but German grammar treats it as doing harm to something. Therefore, der Boden takes the dative case and becomes dem Boden.
Why does the verb schadet go at the very end of the sentence?
The phrase ohne dass (without) acts as a subordinating conjunction, much like dass (that) or weil (because). It introduces a subordinate clause, which forces the conjugated verb (schadet) to the very end.
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