Breakdown of Ich hasse das Telefonat, sooft sie unaufgefordert anrufen.
ich
I
sie
they
anrufen
to call (by phone)
hassen
to hate
sooft
whenever
unaufgefordert
unsolicited
das Telefonat
the phone call
Questions & Answers about Ich hasse das Telefonat, sooft sie unaufgefordert anrufen.
Why is anrufen at the very end of the sentence?
Because sooft (whenever) is a subordinating conjunction. Like dass or weil, it kicks the conjugated verb to the end of its clause. Notice that the separable verb anrufen is written as one word here, whereas in a main clause it would split (for example, Sie rufen oft an).
Could I use immer wenn instead of sooft here?
Yes, immer wenn is very similar and perfectly correct. Using sooft just places a bit more emphasis on the frequency of the event, translating closer to 'every single time that' rather than just 'whenever'.
How does the word unaufgefordert get its meaning of unsolicited?
It is built from the verb auffordern (to request or prompt). By taking the past participle aufgefordert (requested) and adding the negative prefix un-, you get an adjective or adverb meaning 'unrequested' or 'unsolicited'.
What is the difference between das Telefonat and der Anruf?
Der Anruf usually refers to the event of the phone ringing or the attempt to connect (the incoming call). Das Telefonat refers to the actual conversation you have while on the phone. Here, the speaker is emphasizing that they hate the ensuing conversation itself, not just the ringing.
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