Breakdown of Es gilt, die Effizienz so schnell zu verbessern, wie der Chef es verlangt.
es
it
schnell
fast, quickly
der Chef
the boss (male)
so
so, such (intensifier)
wie
as (in comparisons)
verbessern
to improve
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
verlangen
to demand
es gilt, ... zu
it is necessary to (impersonal, formal)
die Effizienz
the efficiency
Questions & Answers about Es gilt, die Effizienz so schnell zu verbessern, wie der Chef es verlangt.
Why is the comparative clause wie der Chef es verlangt separated from so schnell by the words zu verbessern?
In this sentence, so schnell describes the infinitive verb verbessern. The entire infinitive phrase (die Effizienz so schnell zu verbessern) forms a single grammatical block that must be completed before the subordinate wie clause can begin.
What word order rule does the wie clause follow here?
The clause starting with wie acts as a subordinate clause, which means the conjugated verb (verlangt) must go at the very end. This verb-final rule applies to all comparative clauses of equality that use the so ... wie structure.
The verb gelten usually means "to be valid." Why is es gilt translated as "It is necessary"?
The phrase es gilt combined with a zu + infinitive clause is a fixed, slightly formal expression in German. It translates to "it is necessary to," "the task is to," or "it is important to" do something. You will encounter this structure often in business or journalistic contexts.
What does the es refer to in wie der Chef es verlangt?
The pronoun es stands in for the entire action of improving the efficiency. While in English we often drop the pronoun and just say "as the boss demands," German frequently uses es to explicitly represent the omitted action or idea.
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