Breakdown of Die Lizenz ist im Moment ungültig, aber wir verlängern gegebenenfalls den Vertrag.
sein
to be
aber
but
wir
we
im Moment
at the moment
der Vertrag
the contract
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
verlängern
to extend, to renew
die Lizenz
the license
gegebenenfalls
where applicable
ungültig
invalid
Questions & Answers about Die Lizenz ist im Moment ungültig, aber wir verlängern gegebenenfalls den Vertrag.
What exactly does gegebenenfalls mean in this sentence, and where does the word come from?
It means "if necessary," "if applicable," or "should the need arise." Literally, it comes from the genitive phrase gegebenen Falles ("of the given case"). It is a formal adverb used to express a condition without needing a full wenn (if) clause.
Could I use a wenn clause instead of gegebenenfalls here?
Absolutely. gegebenenfalls is a professional, concise way to express a condition. You could easily rewrite the second half of the sentence as: ..., aber wir verlängern den Vertrag, wenn es nötig ist (if it is necessary).
Why is gegebenenfalls placed between the verb (verlängern) and the object (den Vertrag)?
In the second clause, aber takes position 0, wir is in position 1, and the verb verlängern is in position 2. Adverbs typically follow the conjugated verb but precede the direct object (den Vertrag). If you wanted to emphasize the condition, you could put it in position 1 of its clause: ..., aber gegebenenfalls verlängern wir den Vertrag.
I see ungültig means "invalid". Is gültig the standard word for "valid" in German?
Yes, gültig means "valid" and is commonly used for tickets, licenses, and contracts. Adding the prefix un- negates it, exactly like the prefixes "un-" or "in-" do in English.
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