Breakdown of Der Sauerstoff ist umso wichtiger, als wir ihn unter Wasser schnell aufbrauchen.
sein
to be
er
he
schnell
fast, quickly
das Wasser
the water
wir
we
wichtig
important
unter
under, below
als
when (past single event)
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
umso
the (alternative second part)
der Sauerstoff
the oxygen
aufbrauchen
to use up
Questions & Answers about Der Sauerstoff ist umso wichtiger, als wir ihn unter Wasser schnell aufbrauchen.
What does umso ... als mean here, and how does it work?
The structure umso + [comparative] + als translates to "all the more [adjective] because" or "since". In this sentence, umso wichtiger, als means "all the more important, because". It shows that the reason given in the second half makes the oxygen's importance even greater.
I thought als meant "when" or "than". Why does it translate to "because" here?
On its own, als usually means "when" (for a single past event) or "than" (in comparisons). However, when it is paired with umso + comparative in the main clause, als acts as a causal conjunction meaning "because" or "since". This is a specific fixed structure you will see at the B2 level and above.
Why doesn't the separable verb aufbrauchen split into "brauchen ... auf"?
Because als acts as a subordinating conjunction here, it kicks the conjugated verb to the very end of the clause. When a separable verb is forced to the end of a subordinate clause, its prefix and verb stem do not split; they stay attached as a single word.
Why do we use ihn instead of es for "it"?
The pronoun ihn refers back to der Sauerstoff (oxygen). Because Sauerstoff is a masculine noun, "it" must be translated with a masculine pronoun. Since the oxygen is the direct object being used up, it takes the accusative case, making it ihn.
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