Breakdown of Was die Diva wirklich will, ist eine größere Garderobe.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
groß
big / tall
was
what
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
wollen
to want
wirklich
really
die Diva
the diva
die Garderobe
the dressing room
Questions & Answers about Was die Diva wirklich will, ist eine größere Garderobe.
Why does the verb ist come immediately after the comma?
The entire first clause (Was die Diva wirklich will) acts as a single block taking up position 1 in the main sentence. Since the main verb in a German statement must be in position 2, ist directly follows the comma.
Why do we use this Was ... ist ... structure instead of just saying 'Die Diva will eine größere Garderobe'?
This structure, called a pseudo-cleft sentence, is used for emphasis. By separating the sentence into two parts, it builds a little bit of suspense and puts a strong spotlight on the final reveal: the larger dressing room.
If she wants the dressing room, why is the noun phrase governed by ist instead of will?
In this setup, the thing she wants becomes the predicate of the verb sein (to be). Because of this, the noun phrase that follows must be in the nominative case. Here, eine größere Garderobe is feminine so nominative and accusative look identical, but if she wanted a masculine noun like a table, it would be ein größerer Tisch (nominative), not einen größeren Tisch (accusative).
Doesn't Garderobe usually mean 'wardrobe' or 'coat check'?
It often does! It can refer to the cloakroom at a restaurant or a person's collection of clothing. However, in the performing arts (which is the natural context for a Diva), Garderobe is the standard word for a dressing room.
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