Breakdown of Einerseits ist die Zukunft ungewiss, andererseits brechen wir frohen Mutes auf.
sein
to be
wir
we
die Zukunft
the future
der Mut
the courage
einerseits
on the one hand
andererseits
on the other hand
froh
glad
aufbrechen
to set out (depart)
ungewiss
uncertain
Questions & Answers about Einerseits ist die Zukunft ungewiss, andererseits brechen wir frohen Mutes auf.
What grammatical structure is 'frohen Mutes' and why is it used here?
frohen Mutes is an adverbial genitive. It translates to 'in good spirits' or 'of good cheer.' In German, the genitive case is sometimes used to describe the manner in which an action is performed, acting like an adverb rather than showing possession. This is a fixed expression, similar to schweren Herzens (with a heavy heart).
Do the '-s' endings on 'einerseits' and 'andererseits' have anything to do with the adverbial genitive taught in this lesson?
Yes, exactly! The -s at the end of einerseits and andererseits is actually a historical adverbial genitive ending attached to the noun die Seite (the side). While they are written as single adverbial words today, they originally functioned as genitive phrases meaning 'of one side' and 'of the other side.'
How do the words 'einerseits' and 'andererseits' affect the word order in this sentence?
einerseits (on the one hand) and andererseits (on the other hand) act as adverbs here. Because they occupy the first position in their respective clauses, the conjugated verbs (ist and brechen) must immediately follow them in the second position to satisfy the V2 (verb-second) rule. The subjects (die Zukunft and wir) are then pushed to the third position.
Where does the 'auf' at the very end of the sentence come from?
It is the separable prefix of the verb aufbrechen (to set out / to depart). In a main clause, the conjugated part of the verb (brechen) takes the second position, while the separable prefix (auf) is sent to the very end of the sentence.
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