Breakdown of Der Ausgang ist umso schwieriger zu finden, als nur ein geringer Teil sichtbar ist.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
finden
to find
nur
only
zu
to (infinitive marker)
schwierig
difficult
der Ausgang
the exit
umso
the (alternative second part)
der Teil
the part
als
as (in 'insofern ... als')
gering
low (amount, degree)
sichtbar
visible
Questions & Answers about Der Ausgang ist umso schwieriger zu finden, als nur ein geringer Teil sichtbar ist.
Why is als used here instead of weil or da for "because"?
In the structure umso + comparative + als, the word als specifically means "because" or "given that". It acts as a causal conjunction directly linked to umso. You use this specific combo to say something is "all the more [adjective]" because of a certain reason.
Can I use desto instead of umso in this sentence?
Yes, you can! desto and umso are interchangeable in this structure. You could say ... ist desto schwieriger zu finden, als ... with exactly the same meaning.
I usually see umso paired with je (like "je mehr, umso besser"). How is this different?
The je ... umso structure compares two changing variables ("the more X, the more Y"). The umso ... als structure you see here simply expresses that a fact makes an already existing quality even stronger ("all the more X, because Y"). There is no je clause, just a main statement followed by a reason introduced by als.
Why does gering get an -er ending here?
The noun Teil is masculine (der Teil) when it means a piece or portion of something. Since it is the subject of the second clause (nominative case) and comes after the indefinite article ein (which has no ending here), the adjective gering must take the strong masculine nominative ending -er.
Why is zu finden at the end of the first clause instead of next to ist?
The first part is a regular main clause, so the conjugated verb ist must stay in the second position. The phrase zu finden acts as a complement to the adjective schwieriger (more difficult to find) and gets pushed to the end of the clause, just like a separable prefix or a past participle would in a standard main clause.
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