Breakdown of Welche Tänzerin erträgt diesen Schmerz für das Ballett?
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
für
for
der Schmerz
the pain
welcher
which (welcher, welche, welches, welchen, welchem...)
ertragen
to bear
das Ballett
the ballet
die Tänzerin
the dancer (f)
Questions & Answers about Welche Tänzerin erträgt diesen Schmerz für das Ballett?
How could we add the lesson's focus word, "nichtsdestotrotz" (nevertheless), to this question?
You can place it right after the conjugated verb: Welche Tänzerin erträgt nichtsdestotrotz diesen Schmerz für das Ballett? You could also put it at the very end of the sentence. Since this is a question starting with an interrogative word (Welche), the verb (erträgt) is locked into the second position, leaving the middle or end open for adverbs.
What is the exact difference between "trägt" and "erträgt" here?
Tragen means "to carry" or "to wear." Adding the inseparable prefix er- creates ertragen, which means "to endure," "to bear," or "to suffer through" something difficult or painful. At the B2 level, paying attention to how prefixes change base verbs is key to expanding your vocabulary.
We usually see pain in the plural in German, like "Kopfschmerzen" (headache). Why is "Schmerz" singular here?
You are right that everyday ailments like headaches or stomach aches are almost always plural in German (Kopfschmerzen, Bauchschmerzen). However, when talking about pain as a general concept, a single specific source of physical pain, or emotional suffering, German uses the singular der Schmerz. Because it is the direct object being endured, it takes the accusative case: diesen Schmerz.
Why do we say "für das Ballett" instead of just "für Ballett" like we do in English?
German frequently uses definite articles for abstract concepts, sports, and arts where English drops them entirely. While you might hear für Ballett in casual everyday speech, für das Ballett is the standard, grammatically complete way to express "for ballet" in German.
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