Breakdown of Dass wir ein Festzelt brauchen, ist leider völlig klar.
sein
to be
ein
a, an (eine)
wir
we
brauchen
to need
leider
unfortunately
dass
that
klar
clear; obvious
völlig
completely
das Festzelt
the party tent
Questions & Answers about Dass wir ein Festzelt brauchen, ist leider völlig klar.
Why does the main clause start with the verb ist instead of a subject?
The entire dass-clause (Dass wir ein Festzelt brauchen) functions as the subject of the sentence. Since it occupies Position 1, the main verb (ist) must immediately follow in Position 2. You don't need a separate subject pronoun because the clause itself is doing that job.
Could I reword this sentence to put the dass-clause at the end?
Yes, you could say Es ist leider völlig klar, dass wir ein Festzelt brauchen. When you do this, you need the placeholder subject es in Position 1 to keep the verb ist in Position 2. Fronting the dass-clause like in our original sentence places more emphasis on the fact that a tent is needed.
Why are the verbs brauchen and ist right next to each other, separated only by a comma?
This happens because the first part of the sentence is a subordinate clause, which always pushes its conjugated verb (brauchen) to the very end. Because that whole clause sits in Position 1, the main verb (ist) must come right after the comma to claim Position 2 of the main sentence.
Could I use ganz instead of völlig here?
Yes, ganz klar or absolut klar are great alternatives to völlig klar. They all mean completely or absolutely clear. Völlig is a great word for B2 learners to start using to sound a bit more advanced than always relying on sehr or ganz.
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