Breakdown of Ich mag dieses Gemälde, zumal es so imperfekt ist.
ich
I
sein
to be
es
it
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
so
so, such (intensifier)
mögen
to like
zumal
especially since
das Gemälde
the painting
imperfekt
imperfect
Questions & Answers about Ich mag dieses Gemälde, zumal es so imperfekt ist.
Why does imperfekt use the prefix im- instead of in- or the standard German un-?
The prefix im- is borrowed from Latin. Just like in English, the original in- prefix changes to im- before words starting with p, b, or m because it is easier to pronounce. While you will sometimes hear native speakers casually say unperfekt, imperfekt is the standard, formally correct adjective used here.
What exactly does zumal mean, and how does it affect the word order?
zumal is a great B2-level conjunction that means especially since or particularly as. It is a subordinating conjunction, which means it introduces a dependent clause and forces the conjugated verb (ist) to the very end of the sentence.
Why do we use the pronoun es in the second half of the sentence?
The pronoun es refers back to dieses Gemälde (this painting). Because Gemälde is a neuter noun, which you can tell from the -es ending on the word dieses, we must use the neuter pronoun es to mean it.
Could I just use Bild instead of Gemälde here?
You could, but Gemälde is much more specific. While Bild can mean any picture, photo, or image, Gemälde specifically refers to a painted piece of art. This makes it the best word choice when discussing an artist's painting.
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