Breakdown of Wir sollten schrittweise trainieren, das Tempo ist mir zu schnell.
sein
to be
schnell
fast, quickly
wir
we
zu
too (e.g., too big)
mir
me / to me (dative)
sollen
should / ought to
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
trainieren
to train
schrittweise
step by step
das Tempo
the pace
Questions & Answers about Wir sollten schrittweise trainieren, das Tempo ist mir zu schnell.
Why use the dative mir here instead of saying für mich?
Both are grammatically correct and mean the same thing, but using the bare dative pronoun (mir) is the most natural way in German to express a personal judgment or subjective standard. This is known as the dative of viewpoint. You will see it constantly combined with zu + adjective, such as das ist mir zu teuer (that is too expensive for me).
How is the word schrittweise formed?
It is an adverb created by attaching the suffix -weise to the noun der Schritt (the step). The suffix -weise means "in the manner of" or "by way of" and is a very common tool for turning nouns or adjectives into adverbs. Other everyday examples include beispielsweise (for example) and teilweise (partially).
Is sollten in the past tense in this sentence?
It looks identical to the simple past, but here it functions as the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II). We use this form of sollen to give polite advice or make a recommendation. It translates to "We should train..." rather than the past-tense "We were supposed to train..."
Could we use üben instead of trainieren in this sentence?
It depends on exactly what you are practicing. trainieren is generally used for sports, physical fitness, or highly structured drills. üben is used for practicing general skills, like playing the piano or speaking German. Because of the phrase das Tempo (the pace), this sentence is almost certainly about a physical activity like running or cycling, making trainieren the most natural choice.
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