Breakdown of Die glühende Lava strömt runter, selbst wenn das Wetter kalt ist.
sein
to be
kalt
cold
das Wetter
the weather
runter
down
Questions & Answers about Die glühende Lava strömt runter, selbst wenn das Wetter kalt ist.
How does selbst wenn affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
selbst wenn (even if) is a subordinating conjunction. This means it creates a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb to the very end of that clause. That is why the verb ist is pushed to the end of the sentence rather than staying right after das Wetter.
Why is the word runter placed right before the comma?
The main clause uses the separable verb runterströmen (to stream down). In a standard main clause, the conjugated stem (strömt) takes the second position, and the separable prefix (runter) is pushed to the very end of that clause. The comma marks the boundary where the main clause ends and the subordinate clause begins, so the prefix parks right there.
Could I use herunter or hinunter instead of runter here?
Yes, absolutely. runter is a very common, slightly colloquial shortcut for both herunter (down towards the speaker) and hinunter (down away from the speaker). In formal writing you would usually specify the exact direction with one of the longer forms, but runter is perfectly natural and widely used in everyday communication.
Where does the -e ending on glühende come from?