Breakdown of Solange der Biber baut, gehört der Wasserspiegel kontrolliert.
bauen
to build
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
kontrollieren
to inspect
solange
as long as
gehören
to need to be (done)
der Biber
the beaver
der Wasserspiegel
the water level
Questions & Answers about Solange der Biber baut, gehört der Wasserspiegel kontrolliert.
Why does the sentence use gehört kontrolliert instead of muss kontrolliert werden?
Using gehören followed directly by a past participle (like kontrolliert) is a common way to express a passive necessity. It means exactly the same thing as muss kontrolliert werden (needs to be checked / must be checked). This structure is widely understood and very popular in everyday spoken German, especially in southern Germany and Austria.
Why does the main clause start with the verb gehört right after the comma?
This is a great example of the standard "verb-second" rule in action. The entire dependent clause (Solange der Biber baut) acts as the first block of information (Position 1) for the overall sentence. Therefore, the conjugated verb of the main clause (gehört) must immediately follow in Position 2.
Could I use während instead of solange here?
You could, but it changes the nuance slightly. Während simply means "while" (stating that two things are happening at the same time). Solange specifically means "as long as," which creates a stronger conditional link: the water level requires checking specifically for the duration that the beaver continues to build.
Learn Solange der Biber baut, gehört der Wasserspiegel kontrolliert and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free