Breakdown of Das Wasser ist umso gefährlicher, als es heute sehr trüb ist.
sein
to be
es
it
sehr
very
das Wasser
the water
heute
today
gefährlich
dangerous
als
when (past single event)
umso
the (alternative second part)
trüb
murky
Questions & Answers about Das Wasser ist umso gefährlicher, als es heute sehr trüb ist.
Wait, doesn't als usually mean "than" or "when"? What is it doing here?
You are right that als normally means "than" (with comparatives) or "when" (for past events). However, in the specific structure umso + [comparative], als, it acts as a causal conjunction meaning "because" or "since". The whole phrase translates to "all the more [comparative] because...".
Why is the verb ist at the very end of the second clause?
Because als acts as a subordinating conjunction in this structure, just like weil or dass. It kicks the conjugated verb (ist) to the end of its clause: ...als es heute sehr trüb ist.
Could I just say ...umso gefährlicher, weil es heute sehr trüb ist?
Yes, grammatically you could use weil or da, but using als here forms an elegant, paired structure (umso ..., als). This specific combination is a fixed expression in German that emphasizes how the second part amplifies the first part. It implies the water is dangerous anyway, but is especially so right now because it is murky.
I learned umso with je (like je mehr, umso besser). Is this related?
They are related in that they both use comparatives to show intensity, but they do different jobs! Je ..., umso ... connects two proportional changes ("the more..., the more..."). Here, umso ..., als connects a statement with its cause ("all the more..., because..."). Notice there is no je in this sentence.
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