Learn German: Der Abschied war traurig, sodass wir letzten Endes geweint haben. - The farewell was sad, so we ultimately cried.

Der Abschied war traurig, sodass wir letzten Endes geweint haben.

The farewell was sad, so we ultimately cried.

Breakdown of Der Abschied war traurig, sodass wir letzten Endes geweint haben.

Questions & Answers about Der Abschied war traurig, sodass wir letzten Endes geweint haben.

Why is letzten Endes in the genitive case if it doesn't show possession?

This is an adverbial genitive. In German, certain fixed genitive phrases act like adverbs to describe time, manner, or logical conclusion. Letzten Endes literally translates to "of the last end," but is used idiomatically to mean "ultimately" or "when all is said and done."

Why does the adjective letzten end in -en instead of -es?

The noun Ende is neuter (das Ende), and its genitive form takes an -s (Endes). In German, when a masculine or neuter noun shows its genitive form with an -s, any preceding adjective without an article takes the -en ending instead of a strong -es ending. This avoids awkward double -s sounds.

Could I just use endlich instead of letzten Endes here?

Not quite. Endlich means "finally" in the sense of relief after a long wait, which doesn't fit the sadness of a farewell. Letzten Endes means "ultimately" or "eventually," showing the final result of the situation.

Does sodass always push the verb to the end of the sentence?

Yes, sodass (which can also be written as two words: so dass) is a subordinating conjunction. It introduces a dependent clause, which means the conjugated verb (haben) must go to the very end.