Breakdown of Der Nervenkitzel war groß, als das Gebäude fast eingestürzt ist.
sein
to be
groß
big / tall
fast
almost
als
when (past single event)
das Gebäude
the building
der Nervenkitzel
the thrill
einstürzen
to collapse (buildings, structures)
Questions & Answers about Der Nervenkitzel war groß, als das Gebäude fast eingestürzt ist.
What is the literal translation of the word Nervenkitzel?
It literally translates to "nerve tickle." It is a compound noun made from die Nerven (the nerves) and der Kitzel (the tickle), and it is the standard German term for a thrill or suspense.
Why is als used here instead of wenn for the word "when"?
In German, als is required for a single, one-time event in the past. Since the building's near-collapse was a specific historical moment, you must use als. Wenn is used for present or future events, or for repeated past events (meaning "whenever").
Why does eingestürzt ist use a form of sein (ist) instead of haben (hat) as its helping verb?
The verb einstürzen (to collapse) describes a change of state. In the perfect tense, verbs that express a change of state or a change of location (and do not take a direct object) always require a form of sein as their auxiliary verb.
Why does the sentence mix the simple past (war) with the present perfect (eingestürzt ist)?
In everyday German, it is completely natural to mix these past tenses. Native speakers usually prefer the simple past for the verbs sein and haben (hence war), but they use the present perfect for most other verbs like einstürzen. Using the simple past for both (war and einstürzte) would sound slightly formal.
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