Word
Die Zugluft hätte unbedingt verhindert werden müssen.
Meaning
The draft absolutely should have been prevented.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Die Zugluft hätte unbedingt verhindert werden müssen.
haben
to have
müssen
to have to, must
unbedingt
absolutely
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
Questions & Answers about Die Zugluft hätte unbedingt verhindert werden müssen.
Why are there three verbs at the end of the sentence, and why is werden used instead of worden?
This is the passive voice with a modal verb in the past subjunctive (Konjunktiv II). The core action is verhindert werden (to be prevented). Because the modal verb müssen is used in the past, it triggers the double infinitive rule. The passive auxiliary remains the infinitive werden instead of turning into the past participle worden.
The English translation says should have been, but the German sentence uses müssen instead of sollen. Why is that?
In German, hätte ... müssen expresses a strong missed obligation (would have had to). Combined with unbedingt (absolutely), it is much stronger than sollen. English often translates this as absolutely should have because must have been in English usually implies a logical deduction rather than a missed obligation.
How would the word order change if this were a subordinate clause, for example starting with Ich glaube, dass...?
Normally, the conjugated verb (hätte) goes to the very end of a subordinate clause. However, when there is a double infinitive at the end, a special exception applies: the conjugated verb must come right before the entire verb cluster. It becomes: ... dass die Zugluft unbedingt hätte verhindert werden müssen.
What is the literal translation of Zugluft?