Breakdown of Es ist umso gefährlicher, diese Tiefe zu erkunden, als wir keine Hilfe haben.
sein
to be
es
it
haben
to have
kein
no, not any
wir
we
dieser
this / that (fem.: diese, neut.: dieses)
die Hilfe
the help
gefährlich
dangerous
zu
to (infinitive marker)
umso
the (alternative second part)
als
as (in 'insofern ... als')
die Tiefe
the depth
erkunden
to explore
Questions & Answers about Es ist umso gefährlicher, diese Tiefe zu erkunden, als wir keine Hilfe haben.
How does umso ... als work in this sentence, and why does als translate to 'because'?
In this specific structure (umso + comparative adjective + als), the word als introduces a proportional-causal clause. It does not mean 'than' or 'when' here. Instead, it explains the reason why the first part is true, translating to 'because' or 'since'. The whole phrase essentially means 'all the more dangerous because'.
Why is the infinitive clause (diese Tiefe zu erkunden) placed in the middle of the sentence?
The main clause is Es ist umso gefährlicher, and the als clause is a dependent clause that logically follows it. The infinitive phrase (diese Tiefe zu erkunden) is tucked into the middle so the als clause can sit cleanly at the end. German often prefers to close out a complex sentence with the conjugated verb of a dependent clause, like haben here.
Why do we use gefährlicher instead of just gefährlich?
The word umso in this context always triggers the comparative form of the adjective. Just as English uses 'more dangerous' instead of just 'dangerous' in this phrase, German adds the comparative suffix -er to form gefährlicher.
Could I use desto instead of umso in this sentence?
No. While umso and desto are interchangeable in two-part proportional sentences like je mehr, desto besser (the more, the better), only umso is used in this specific umso ... als (all the more ... because) construction.
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